UNIVERSITY  OF 

ILLir  ~tS  LIBRARY 

AT  UF A-CHAMPAIGN 

ILL  HIST.  SURVEY 


THE  TOTEM  OF  BLACK  HAWK 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk,"  he  cried 

[Page  350] 


THE  TOTEM  OF 
BLACK  HAWK 


A  Tale  of    Pioneer  Days  in  Northwestern  Illinois 
and  the  Black  Hawk  War 


By 

EVERETT  McNEIL 

Author  of  "The  Boy  Forty-Niners,"  "in  Texas  with  Davy  Crockett,' 
"With  Kit  Carson  in  the  Rockies,"  etc. 


Illustrated  by 

HENRY  S.  WATSON 


CHICAGO 
A.  C.  McCLURG  &  CO. 

1915 


Copyright 

A.  C.  McClurg-  &  Co. 
1914 


Published  October,  1914 
Second  Printing,  December,  1915 


,   f.   HALL  PRINTING  COMPANY,  CHICAGO 


To 
the  Boys  and  the  Girls 

of  America 

who  are  interested 

in  knowing  something  of 

how  our  Great  West  was  wrested 

from  the  savage  and  the  wilderness 

this  tale  of  pioneer  life  in 

Northwestern  Illinois 

is  affectionately 

and  hopefully 

dedicated 

V 

L 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Arrival I 

II.  Gideon  Goes  Deer  Hunting    ...  12 

III.  Impromptu  House  Building     ...  21 

IV.  Silas  Wegg 26 

V.  The  Race 40 

VI.  Bad  News 53 

VII.  The  Bobcat 66 

VIII.  Homemade  Furniture 74 

IX.  Old  Whitenose 84 

X.  Unexpected  Guests 95 

XI.  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk     ...  109 

XII.  The  Day  of  the  First  Plowing    .     .  120 

XIII.  The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose    .     .  127 

XIV.  Days  of  Suspense 152 

XV.  The  Wilderness  Itch 164 

XVI.  Building  the  Log  House    ....  173 

XVII.  The  Great  Wrestling  Match    .     .     .  181 

XVIII.  The  Coming  of  the  Deep  Snow     .     .  200 

XIX.  Besieged  by  Wolves 21 1 

XX.  The  Hawk  Threatens  to  Strike   .     .  223 

XXI.  The  Coming  of  Ben  Block     ...  234 

XXII.  The  Flaming  Red  Death     ....  249 

XXIII.  Ben  Block  Again 267 

XXIV.  The  Hawk  Strikes 280 

XXV.  Mike  Girty 291 

XXVI.  The  Young  Captain  of  Volunteers     .  302 

XXVII.  On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk     ...  314 

XXVIII.  Tied  to  the  Stake 332 

XXIX.  Black  Hawk 348 

XXX.  Au  Revoir 362 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

"  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk,"  he  cried     .     .     .     Frontispiece 

"  Here's  the  land,  right  from  the  hand  of  God,  all  waiting 

for  us  to  make  a  home  on  it" 10 

"Howd'y,  howd'y,  folks;'  said  the  tall  stranger     ...      32 

"  My  father's  totem,"  she  said  proudly.  "  Keep  all  time  on 

neck" 118 

Everybody  present,  even  Silas  Wegg,  was  dancing     .     .  180 

Captured  by  the  Indians 300 

"Who'll  be  the  first  to  test  Abe  Lincoln's  courage?"     .  326 

"  Silence,  dog  of  a  white  man,  Black  Hawk  has  spoken  "  356 


THE  TOTEM  OF  BLACK  HAWK 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  ARRIVAL 

"TTTHOA!"  and,  with  a  downward  thrust  of 
*  »  the  handle  of  his  long  ox  whip,  Big  Tom 
Clay  brought  the  tired  oxen  to  a  welcomed  halt. 
"  Martha,"  and  he  turned  a  pair  of  shining  eyes  to 
the  woman,  who,  with  a  baby  in  her  arms,  was 
seated  on  the  front  seat  of  the  huge  covered  wagon 
that  the  weary  oxen  had  been  drawing,  "Martha 
—  Home! "  and  his  eyes,  sweeping  the  surrounding 
scene,  returned  quickly  and  a  bit  questioningly  to 
the  face  of  the  woman.  "Here's  the  land,  right 
from  the  hand  of  God,  all  waiting  for  us  to  make 
a  home  on  it.  I  hope  it  looks  as  good  to  you  as  it 
does  to  me.  It's  the  pick  of  the  whole  Rock  River 
Valley.  Plenty  of  wood  and  water,  and  the  soil 
good  enough  for  a  king  and  ready  right  now  for  the 
plow,  without  no  grubbing  out  of  trees  or  burning 
of  brush.  I  reckon  'twon't  take  us  no  time  to  make 
ourselves  mighty  comfortable  here.  It's  all  that  I 
pictured  it,  ain't  it?  You  ain't  none  disappointed, 
be  you?"  and  a  look  of  affectionate  anxiety  came 
into  the  eyes  of  the  big  man. 

"No,  Tom,  I  ain't  disappointed,"  and  Mrs.  Clay 
turned  her  eyes  from  the  surrounding  scene  to  the 

i 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 


face  of  her  husband.  "  It's  better  than  I  thought  it 
was  going  to  be.  Now,  give  me  a  hand,  I  want  to 
set  my  feet  on  our  own  ground." 

Big  Tom  promptly  lifted  up  both  hands  and 
helped  his  wife,  with  their  baby  in  her  arms,  to  the 
ground. 

"It  is  glorious!"  Mrs.  Clay  said,  drawing  in  a 
long  breath  of  satisfaction,  as  her  eyes  slowly  cir- 
cled the  beautiful  scene.  "  Looks  as  if  it  was  made 
a-purpose  for  a  home  —  a  home  for  us  and  the  chil- 
dren," and  her  eyes  rested  tenderly  for  a  moment 
on  the  smiling  face  of  the  baby  in  her  arms,  and 
then  turned,  glowing  with  mother  pride,  to  two 
children,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  who  were  hurrying 
toward  them  from  a  second  ox-drawn  wagon  that 
had  halted  a  short  distance  behind  the  first. 

"Is  this  the  place?  Have  we  reached  our  own 
land?"  the  boy  called  excitedly  at  sight  of  his 
mother's  face. 

"  Yes ! "  shouted  back  Big  Tom  joyously. 

"  Hurrah ! "  yelled  the  girl,  catching  quick  hold  of 
her  brother's  hand  and  racing  alongside  of  him  to 
the  spot  where  their  father  and  mother  stood. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  our  new  home,  Gid  ? 
Like  it  better  than  you  did  back  in  Ohio  ?  "  queried 
the  father,  smiling  down  into  the  excited  boy's  face. 

"I  reckon  I  will,"  answered  Gideon  soberly,  his 
eyes  slowly  scanning  the  surrounding  country.  "  It 
looks  just  about  right  and  —  " 

"  But,"  interrupted  the  girl,  looking  around  anx- 
iously, "I  see  no  house.  Where  is  our  house?" 


The  Arrival 


"Right  there  in  them  big  trees,  Ruth,"  grinned 
Big  Tom,  pointing  to  the  heavy  timber  that 
stretched  along  the  edge  of  the  prairie  on  which 
they  had  halted. 

"  Where  ?  I  —  I  can't  see  it,"  and  Ruth,  shading 
her  eyes  with  one  hand,  searched  the  spot  indicated 
eagerly. 

"Well,"  laughed  her  father,  "it's  there,  right  in 
them  big  trees,  just  waiting  for  our  axes  to  cut  it 
out" 

"  O,"  and  the  lights  in  Ruth's  eyes  danced  with 
excitement,  "you  mean,  we've  got  to  cut  down  the 
trees  and  make  a  house  out  of  them!  But,  where 
will  we  live  until  the  house  is  made  ?  "  and  her  face 
sobered. 

"That's  a  great  question  for  a  pioneer  girl  to 
ask,"  laughed  Mrs.  Clay.  "Why,  we've  all  out- 
doors to  camp  in!" 

"But  —  but  just  camping  out  isn't  like  home- 
living.  I  thought  we'd  have  a  real  house  to  live  in, 
when  we  got  to  our  land.  I'm  tired  of  camping  out. 
The  cooking  is  so  smoky  and  I  am  always  afraid  of 
snakes,  specially  since  dad  shot  that  rattler  off  the 
top  of  my  blanket  the  other  morning,"  and  Ruth's 
face  whitened  and  she  shivered  at  the  thought  of 
that  dreadful  experience. 

"Well,  if  that's  all  that  is  troubling  you,"  cheered 
her  father,  "  your  troubles  will  soon  be  over.  We'll 
have  some  sort  of  a  shelter  up  before  a  Dutchman 
could  say  Jack  Robinson.  'Twon't  take  no  time  to 
put  up  a  half-faced  camp;  and  that  will  do  splendid 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 


until  we  can  get  the  house  up.    O,  we'll  soon  be  as 
snug  as  four  bugs  in  a  rug." 

"  Five,"  smiled  Mrs.  Clay,  "  counting  the  baby." 
"Right,"  grinned  Big  Tom.  "Couldn't  keep 
house  nohow  without  the  baby.  Now,  just  see  the 
little  rascal  grin.  Reckon  she  fancies  we're  doing 
all  this  for  her  special  benefit,  the  conceit  of  her ! " 
and  he  chucked  the  baby  under  the  chin  with  one  of 
his  big  fingers.  "But  then  I  reckon  it's  just  the 
woman  breaking  out  in  her,"  and  he  winked  one  eye 
at  his  wife.  "  Howsomever,  talk  and  looks  never 
built  a  house;  we  must  get  busy.  It's  past  noon 
now,"  and  he  glanced  up  at  the  sun ;  "  and  we've  got 
enough  to  do  before  sleeptime  to  keep  six  men  busy. 
Gid,"  and  he  turned  to  the  boy,  "unyoke  and  turn 
the  critters  loose  to  feed.  We'll  leave  the  wagons 
right  where  they  be.  Now,  Martha,  just  give  me  a 
hand,  and  we  will  get  some  of  the  things  we  need 
first  out  of  the  wagon,"  and  Big  Tom  sprang  into 
the  back  end  of  one  of  the  big  canvas-topped 
wagons,  while  Mrs.  Clay  gave  the  baby  to  Ruth 
and  made  ready  to  help  her  husband  with  the  un- 
loading. 

Gideon,  with  eager,  practiced  hands,  hurriedly 
unyoked  the  three  pairs  of  oxen  hitched  to  each 
heavy  wagon,  and  turned  the  tired  and  hungry  ani- 
mals loose  to  feed  on  the  rich  grass  that  covered  the 
prairie,  together  with  the  three  cows  and  the  two 
horses  that  the  pioneers  had  brought  with  them. 
Then,  with  a  long  indrawing  of  his  breath,  he 
stopped,  for  a  moment,  near  where  his  sister  sat  on 


The  Arrival 


the  grass,  the  baby  in  her  arms,  and  looked  around 
him. 

The  trip  westward  from  their  rude  Ohio  home  to 
this  beautiful  forest-fenced  Illinois  prairie  had  been 
a  wonderful  journey  for  the  boy  and  the  girl.  A 
year  before  their  father  had  mounted  his  horse  and, 
rifle  in  hand,  had  ridden  off  into  the  mysterious 
West  in  search  of  a  new  home.  Four  months  later, 
near  the  close  of  one  never-to-be-forgotten  day, 
they  had  seen  him  come  riding  home  from  out  the 
unknown  land  of  the  setting  sun,  bronzed  and 
weather-beaten,  but  hale  and  hearty;  and  with  a 
wonderful  tale  of  the  beautiful  country  in  the  dis- 
tant Rock  River  Valley  in  northwestern  Illinois, 
where  he  had  purchased,  for  two  dollars  an  acre, 
the  virgin  land  on  which  to  build  a  home. 

Then  had  followed  the  long  winter  months  —  it 
had  been  too  late  in  the  fall  when  Mr.  Clay  returned 
to  think  of  making  the  long  wagon  journey  that 
year  —  during  which  hardly  a  day  had  passed  when 
Gideon  and  Ruth  had  not  dreamt  of  the  new  home 
they  were  to  build  in  that  wonderful  Illinois  coun- 
try, and  of  the  long  overland  journey  into  the 
unknown  mysteries  of  the  West  that  they  would 
have  to  make  to  take  them  to  it.  And  all  winter 
long,  with  an  ever  increasing  interest,  they  had 
helped  their  father  and  mother  prepare  for  the  long 
journey  and  the  building  of  the  new  home.  Then 
had  come  spring  and  the  final  preparations  for  the 
departure;  and,  at  last,  one  early  April  morning, 
the  oxen  were  yoked  to  the  two  heavily-loaded, 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 


canvas-topped  wagons  and  headed  westward.    The 
long-looked-ahead-to  journey  had  actually  begun. 

The  country  between  their  home  in  Ohio  and  the 
Rock  River  Valley  in  Illinois  was  then,  1830,  almost 
an  unbroken  wilderness,  with  the  few  settlers,  scat- 
tered at  irregular  intervals  through  Ohio  and 
Indiana,  constantly  becoming  fewer  and  farther 
apart  as  they  journeyed  westward,  until,  when 
Illinois  was  reached,  there  were  days  at  a  time  when 
our  lonely  travelers  did  not  see  any  signs  of  human 
habitation,  save  those  made  by  the  Indians.  There 
were  no  roads ;  only  trails  made  by  the  Indians  and 
the  few  pioneers  that  had  preceded  them.  The 
rivers  were  bridgeless,  and  had  to  be  forded  or 
ferried.  For  food  they  were  obliged  to  depend 
almost  entirely  on  the  supplies  they  had  brought 
with  them  and  on  their  rifles;  but  wild  turkeys, 
prairie  chickens,  and  quails  were  plentiful  and  easily 
shot,  and  hardly  a  day  passed  when  the  rifle  of 
father  or  son  did  not  bring  down  a  deer.  Con- 
sequently there  was  no  lack  of  good  wholesome 
food,  even  though  the  cooking  had  to  be  rudely 
done  over  the  hot  coals  of  a  camp  fire.  At  night 
Gideon  and  his  father  rolled  themselves  up  in  their 
blankets  and  lay  down  on  the  ground,  the  stars 
above  them  and  all  outdoors  around  them.  Mrs. 
Clay  and  the  baby  and  Ruth  slept  in  one  of  the 
wagons,  except  on  warm,  clear  nights,  when  they, 
too,  sometimes  made  their  beds  on  the  ground,  or 
did,  until  some  ten  days  back,  when  Ruth  had  been 
awakened  one  morning  by  the  crack  of  her  father's 


The  Arrival 


rifle  to  find,  to  her  horror,  that  he  had  just  shot 
the  head  from  a  large  rattlesnake  that,  during  the 
night,  had  curled  itself  up  on  her  blanket.  After 
that  she  and  her  mother  slept  in  the  wagon,  no 
matter  how  warm  and  clear  the  night  might  be. 

Thus,  slowly,  day  after  day  for  six  weeks,  the 
patient  oxen  had  drawn  the  heavy  wagons  west- 
ward, over  the  hills  and  through  the  forests  of 
western  Ohio  and  across  the  swamps  and  through 
the  great  woods  of  northern  Indiana,  and  over  the 
rich  prairies  of  Illinois,  until,  at  last,  they  had  come 
to  this  beautiful  forest- fenced  prairie  in  the  north- 
western part,  where,  as  we  have  seen,  Big  Tom 
Clay  had  brought  the  wearied  animals  to  a  halt 
and  had  declared  the  long  journey  ended. 

At  first  this  free  outdoor  life,  this  constant  chang- 
ing of  scenery,  this  ever  moving  westward  into  new 
and  unknown  regions,  had  been  very  fascinating 
and  interesting  to  Gideon  and  Ruth.  After  some 
four  or  five  weeks  of  it,  however,  its  disagreeable 
features  —  hard,  cold  beds  at  night,  smoky  fires, 
swarming  flies  and  mosquitoes,  storms,  from  which 
there  was  no  shelter,  frequent  deep  mud  and  loose 
sand  of  the  trail,  through  which  the  oxen  could 
pull  the  heavy  wagons  only  with  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty, dirt  and  grime,  and  a  hundred  other  petty 
inconveniences  —  all  these  disagreeable  things  began 
to  dull  the  edge  of  their  enjoyment  of  the  wild 
free  life  they  were  living  and  to  make  them  long 
for  the  quiet  and  the  comforts  of  a  home,  how- 
ever rude  and  humble  it  might  be.  So,  when  their 


8 The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk _. 

father  had  declared  the  journey  ended;  that  they 
had  at  last  reached  their  own  land,  the  site  of 
their  new  home,  the  children  welcomed  the  news 
eagerly — much  more  eagerly  than  they  would  have 
welcomed  it  four  weeks  before. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  our  new  home, 
Ruth?"  Gideon  asked,  after  he  had  stood  for  a 
minute  or  two  by  the  side  of  his  sister  contemplat- 
ing the  beautiful  scene,  primeval  in  its  wildness. 
"Looks  as  if  it  was  going  to  be  right  lonesome, 
doesn't  it?  Don't  believe  there  is  another  human 
being,  unless  it  is  Indians,  within  a  hundred  miles 
of  us.  But  it  is  beautiful ! "  And  again  his  eyes 
swept  the  broad  prairie,  untouched  by  the  plow  of 
man,  gorgeous  now  with  the  green  of  the  rich  grass 
and  the  bloom  of  the  many-hued  flowers,  and  fol- 
lowed the  long  stretch  of  virgin  forest  that  fenced 
the  prairie  on  one  side  as  far  as  he  could  see. 

"Yes,  it  is  very  beautiful,"  agreed  Ruth;  "and 
so  quiet  looking  and  peace  ful-1  ike.  But  I  guess 
you  were  right  when  you  said  that  it's  going  to  be 
lonesome.  I  heard  dad  tell  mother  that  our  nearest 
neighbor  was  a  good  fifteen  miles  away  to  the 
south  of  us,  and  that  the  next  nearest  one  was  more 
than  twenty  miles  north.  I  do  hope  that  some- 
one will  come  in  and  settle  down  near  us ;  and  that 
they  will  have  girls  and  boys.  I  can't  see  how  we 
can  have  much  fun  without  anyone  to  play  with; 
but,  I  suppose  we've  just  got  to  make  the  best  of 
it,"  and  Ruth  sighed  and  snuggled  the  baby  up 
closer  in  her  arms. 


The  Arrival 


"  Pshaw !  "  laughed  Gideon,  "  'twon't  do  no  good 
to  get  gloomy  over  it.  Besides,  we'll  be  too  busy, 
for  a  time  at  least,  to  do  any  playing.  Now  I 
wonder  where  dad  is  going  to  build  the  house.  I 
think  the  top  of  that  little  hill  over  yonder,  with 
the  clump  of  willows  growing  round  the  big  rocks 
near  its  bottom,  would  make  a  fine  place  for  a 
house,  don't  you?" 

"That's  the  very  spot  I  picked  out  for  the 
house,"  declared  Ruth,  jumping  quickly  to  her  feet, 
her  face  lighting  up  with  interest.  "Come,  let's 
tell  dad,"  and  followed  by  Gideon  she  hurried  to 
where  her  father  and  mother  were  still  getting 
things  out  of  the  wagon. 

"  O,  Dad ! "  she  cried,  excitedly,  the  moment  she 
came  to  where  her  father  and  mother  were  unload- 
ing, "we've  picked  out  a  splendid  place  for  the 
house.  It's  right  there  on  top  of  that  hill,"  and 
she  pointed  to  the  flat  top  of  the  little  hill  that 
rose  above  the  level  of  the  prairie  a  few  rods 
away. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  the  place  for  the  house, 
Dad?"  and  Gideon,  too,  pointed  excitedly  to  the 
little  hill.  "  It's  high  and  dry,  and  there's  plenty 
of  room  for  barns  and  stables." 

"  Now,  just  see  how  great  minds  run  in  the  same 
channel,"  Big  Tom  grinned,  as  he  straightened  up 
from  the  heavy  bureau  that  he  and  Mrs.  Clay  had 
just  lifted  from  the  wagon  and  placed  on  the 
ground,  "  for  that  is  the  identical  spot  I  picked 
out  for  the  house  when  I  bought  the  land,  and  your 


io  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

ma,  not  more  than  five  minutes  ago,  remarked  that 
that  identical  hill  looked  as  if  the  good  Lord  had 
put  it  there  on  purpose  for  us  to  build  our  house 
on  top  of  it.  So  it  looks  as  if  the  election  of  that 
spot  for  the  house  was  unanimous,  as  the  district 
chairman  back  East  used  to  say;  and  it  certain  is 
as  fine  a  building  spot  as  a  body  could  want. 
There's  about  the  cleanest  looking  spring  I  ever 
saw,  with  the  coolest  and  best  tasting  water  that 
ever  passed  my  lips,  bubbling  up  right  from  under 
one  of  them  big  rocks,  where  you  see  the  little 
clump  of  willows  near  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  that 
will  give  plenty  of  good  drinking  water  for  our- 
selves and  the  animals." 

"  Then  I  want  a  drink  out  of  it  right  now,"  and 
Gideon  started  off  on  the  run  toward  the  spring. 

"  Hi,  there ! "  called  his  father.  "  Come  back  and 
take  a  pail  with  you.  I  reckon  we  all  want  a 
drink." 

Gideon  quickly  caught  up  a  wooden  pail  and  hur- 
ried off  to  the  spring  of  water.  In  ten  minutes  he 
was  back,  with  the  pail  full  of  water  and  his  eyes 
shining  with  excitement. 

"  Dad,"  he  cried,  as  he  sat  the  pail  of  water  down, 
"there's  a  big  buck  and  four  does  feeding  about 
half  a  mile  beyond  the  spring  and  near  the  edge  of 
the  timber.  I  am  sure,  by  going  into  the  woods, 
I  can  creep  up  near  enough  for  a  shot.  Can  I  have 
a  try?" 

"  Gosh,  yes ! "  answered  Big  Tom,  his  own  face 
lighting  up  with  interest.  "If  there's  any  fresh 


"  Here's  the  land,  right  from  the  hand  of  God,  all  waiting 
for  us  to  make  a  home  on  it " 


The  Arrival  n 


venison  near,  we  want  some  of  it;  but  get  back 
as  soon  as  you  can.  If  I  wasn't  so  tarnal  busy  I'd 
go  with  you.  Now,"  he  cautioned,  as  Gideon  hur- 
ried to  the  wagon  for  his  rifle,  "no  chasing  after 
the  deer.  If  you  can  get  one  without  going  too  far 
from  camp,  all  right;  but  I've  no  time  to  hunt  for 
a  lost  boy." 

"No  danger,"  Gideon  called  back,  as  he  caught 
up  his  rifle  and  flung  powder-horn  and  bullet  pouch 
over  his  shoulder.  "  I'm  not  so  green  as  to  get 
lost,  even  if  this  is  new  country.  I'll  be  back 
inside  of  a  couple  of  hours  with  the  saddle  of  one 
of  those  deer  on  my  back,  unless  luck  is  plumb 
against  me." 

"  Get  the  buck,  if  possible,"  called  his  father,  as 
Gideon  started  off. 

"Do  be  careful  and  not  go  too  far  from  the 
camp,"  warned  his  mother.  "  It's  new  country, 
and  the  Lord  only  knows  what's  in  it." 

"  O,  I'm  not  a  baby  any  longer,  Mother,"  Gideon 
laughed  back.  "Never  fear;  I'll  be  back,  right 
side  up  with  care.  Have  a  good  hot  fire  ready, 
for  I'm  calculating  on  having  a  slice  of  that  big 
buck  for  supper  tonight,"  and,  with  a  final  laughing 
"  good-by,"  he  was  off  in  the  direction  of  the  woods 
that  edged  the  prairie  some  forty  rods  away. 


CHAPTER  II 

GIDEON  GOES  DEER  HUNTING 

GIDEON  CLAY  was  an  unusually  large  and 
strong-muscled  boy  for  a  lad  of  fourteen  years, 
and  well-versed  in  all  the  ways  of  the  rough  out- 
door life  of  the  pioneer.  He  had  often  hunted 
deer  and  smaller  wild  animals  back  in  his  Ohio 
home;  and  once  he  had  gone  with  his  father  on  a 
bear  hunt  to  the  Big  Woods  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  state  and  had  helped  him  kill  a  large  black 
bear.  Consequently  deer  hunting  was  no  new  sport 
to  him  and  he  knew,  as  well  as  any  man,  how  to 
creep,  unobserved,  upon  the  timid  and  wary  ani- 
mals; but  this  hunt  was  in  a  new  country  and  he 
must  be  extra  cautious,  for,  as  his  mother  said, 
the  Lord  alone  knew  what  was  in  it.  There 
might  be  larger  and  more  dangerous  animals  than 
deer.  Bears,  he  had  heard,  were  sometimes  found 
in  the  woods ;  and  he  knew  that  Indians  still  hunted, 
in  savage  wildness,  over  the  prairies  and  through 
the  forests  of  these  unsettled  regions.  He  had  the 
pioneer's  scorn  for  the  cowardly  black  bear  and 
he  did  not  much  fear  the  Indians,  notwithstanding 
the  rumors,  which  had  reached  them  on  the  route, 
that  trouble  was  brewing  between  the  Indians  and 
the  settlers  in  northwestern  Illinois.  Still,  even 
black  bears  were  sometimes  dangerous;  and  the 
pioneers  had  long  since  learnt,  to  their  cost,  never 

12 


Gideon  Goes  Deer  Hunting  13 

to  place  complete  trust  in  the  friendliness  of  In- 
dians; besides,  the  country  in  which  he  was  now 
was  absolutely  unknown  to  him;  therefore,  it  is 
not  to  be  wondered  at,  if  Gideon's  heart  did  beat 
a  little  faster  than  was  usual,  even  when  hunting 
deer,  and  if  the  grip  on  his  rifle  was  a  little  tighter 
than  usual,  when  he  entered  the  dark  shadows  of 
the  unknown  woods  and  began  creeping  cautiously 
toward  the  feeding  animals. 

There  was  considerable  underbrush  growing  be- 
neath the  trees  and  this  made  Gideon's  cautious 
progress  slow;  but,  gradually,  with  eyes  and  ears 
keenly  alert,  he  drew  near  the  spot  where  the  deer 
were  still  quietly  feeding,  not  more  than  seventy- 
five  yards  from  the  edge  of  the  forest.  The  buck 
stood  the  nearest  to  the  woods;  and  Gideon,  who 
was  now  close  enough  to  see  the  animal  distinctly, 
thought  he  had  never  before  seen  so  fine  a  buck. 

"  I  must  surely  get  him,"  he  mused.  "  I  don't 
believe  that  dad  himself  ever  shot  as  splendid  a 
buck  as  that,"  and  he  stopped  to  get  a  clearer  view 
of  his  surroundings  and  to  pick  out  the  spot  from 
which  to  make  the  shot. 

Some  two  rods  from  the  edge  of  the  woods  and 
almost  in  a  direct  line  between  him  and  the  deer 
he  saw  a  half  dozen  huge  rocks  that  jutted  up 
above  the  level  of  the  prairie  to  the  height  of  a 
man's  head. 

"  That  is  the  place  from  which  to  make  the  shot," 
he  thought,  as  his  eyes  noted  that  the  rocks  were 
considerably  nearer  to  the  buck  than  was  the  edge 


14  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

of  the  woods,  "and  if  I  can't  get  the  buck  from 
there,  then  I'm  no  son  of  Big  Tom  Clay,"  and 
moving  with  the  utmost  care  he  began  working  his 
way  slowly  through  the  underbrush  toward  the 
rocks,  throwing  himself  flat  on  his  belly  and  worm- 
ing his  way  through  the  grass,  when  he  left  the 
shelter  of  the  woods,  and  being  very  careful  to  make 
no  noise  and  to  keep  the  rocks  between  him  and  the 
buck. 

At  last,  with  his  heart  thumping  against  his  ribs, 
he  reached  the  rocks  and  drew  himself  up  behind 
their  shelter  to  make  ready  for  the  shot. 

In  those  early  days  the  modern  rapid-fire  rifle 
had  not  yet  been  invented,  and  the  hunter  was  com- 
pelled to  depend  on  one  of  those  muzzle-loading, 
single-shot  guns,  fired  by  a  flintlock,  now  found 
only  in  museums.  It  was  loaded  from  the  muzzle. 
First,  the  right  amount  of  powder  had  to  be  poured 
into  the  barrel.  Then  the  bullet,  usually  "  patched  " 
with  a  piece  of  greased  cloth  to  make  it  fit  the  bore 
of  the  barrel  snugly,  was  driven  down  tightly  on 
top  of  the  powder  with  the  ramrod.  And,  finally, 
a  very  small  quantity  of  powder  was  poured  from 
the  horn  or  jarred,  by  a  smart  blow  of  the  hand, 
from  the  barrel  into  the  fire-pan,  to  catch  the  sparks 
from  the  flint.  Sometimes  this  powder  would  get 
shaken  out  of  the  fire-pan ;  and  the  cautious  hunter 
usually,  if  he  had  time,  poured  fresh  powder  into  the 
pan  before  risking  a  shot.  Another  thing,  with 
such  a  slow  loading  rifle  there  would  be  no  oppor- 
tunity for  a  second  shot;  consequently  the  hunter 


Gideon  Goes  Deer  Hunting  15 

must  kill  at  the  first  shot,  or  see  the  frightened  game 
escape  before  he  could  reload. 

Gideon,  the  moment  he  reached  the  shelter  of  the 
rocks,  glanced  down  quickly  into  the  fire-pan  of  his 
rifle  to  make  sure  that  it  held  sufficient  powder. 
He  found  it  nearly  empty,  and  swiftly  pouring  a 
little  powder  from  his  horn  into  it  to  make 
sure  that  the  gun  would  go  off  at  the  first  pull  of 
the  trigger,  he  began  slowly  and  cautiously  to  raise 
himself  up  from  behind  the  broad  flat  rock, 
back  of  which  he  had  concealed  himself,  intending 
to  rest  the  heavy  barrel  of  the  rifle  on  its  firm  top 
while  taking  aim  at  the  buck.  He  knew  that  noth- 
ing was  so  apt  to  frighten  a  deer  as  a  quick  move- 
ment, and,  therefore,  as  his  head  approached  the 
top  of  the  rock  he  was  careful  to  move  it  upward 
very,  very  slowly,  so  slowly  that  the  movement 
would  be  imperceptible  to  the  deer.  First  the  top 
of  his  head  projected  slightly  above  the  rock,  then 
slowly  his  forehead,  and,  at  last,  his  eyes  —  and, 
to  his  astonishment,  he  found  himself  staring 
straight  into  the  round  little  eyes  of  a  huge  black 
bear  that  lay  stretched  out  flat  on  his  belly  on  top 
of  the  rock  not  six  feet  away. 

The  bear,  evidently,  was  on  a  deer  hunt  too,  and 
was  patiently  waiting  for  one  of  the  deer  to  come 
near  enough  to  the  rock  for  him  to  spring  down 
on  his  back.  Likewise  he  was  as  fearfully  and  as 
unexpectedly  startled  as  was  Gideon. 

There  was  nothing  slow  in  the  next  movement  of 
Gideon.  Terribly  as  he  was  startled — frightened, 


16 The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

he  did  not  yell,  he  did  not  turn  his  back  on  the 
bear  and  run;  but,  with  the  record  leap  backward 
of  his  life,  he  threw  his  rifle  instinctively  to  his 
shoulder,  took  a  quick  aim  at  one  of  the  little 
wicked  round  eyes,  and,  just  as  the  startled  brute's 
jaws  opened  for  a  savage  growl,  he  pulled  the 
trigger. 

The  bear,  with  a  horribly  ugly  growl  and  a  con- 
vulsive spring,  flung  himself  bodily  off  the  rock  and 
almost  on  top  of  Gideon,  who  stood  stock-still,  as 
if  every  muscle  in  his  body  had  been  suddenly 
frozen  rigid,  until  the  nails  of  one  of  the  huge 
paws  tore  through  the  strong  deerskin  that  cov- 
ered his  legs  and  cut  a  long  scratch  in  his  skin 
almost  from  hip  to  ankle. 

The  scratch  seemed  to  awaken  Gideon  to  his 
peril,  and  with  a  cry  that  was  not  so  much  from 
fear  as  it  was  from  pain  and  rage,  he  leaped  out 
of  reach  of  those  nail-armed  paws  and  drew  the 
long-bladed  hunting  knife  that  he  carried  in  his 
belt. 

He  did  not  think  of  running.  His  was  not  the 
running  breed  of  manhood.  He  only  thought  of 
defending  his  life  from  the  brute  with  every  ounce 
of  strength  in  his  body. 

But  there  was  no  need  of  defending  himself 
further,  for,  after  a  few  convulsive  jerks  of  the 
huge  frame,  the  bear  lay  motionless. 

Gideon  stood  for  a  minute,  knife  in  right  hand, 
rifle  in  left,  staring  at  the  bear,  every  muscle  tense  as 
a  steel  spring.  Then,  seeing  that  the  bear  still 


Gideon  Goes  Deer  Hunting  17 

remained  motionless,  he  swiftly  sheathed  his  knife 
and,  still  keeping  an  eye  on  the  bear,  began  rapidly 
reloading  his  rifle,  and  not  until  the  rifle  was 
reloaded  did  he  take  a  step  nearer  the  animal.  He 
knew  too  well  the  value  of  the  rule  of  the  wilder- 
ness, never  to  approach  dangerous  game,  however 
dead  it  might  appear,  with  an  unloaded  rifle,  or, 
indeed,  to  remain  anywhere  in  the  wilderness  a 
moment  longer  than  was  necessary  with  an  unloaded 
rifle  in  the  hand. 

When  the  rifle  was  reloaded  Gideon  stepped  close 
to  the  head  of  the  bear.  But  there  was  no  need 
of  another  shot.  The  bullet  had  gone  true,  through 
the  eye  and  into  the  brain,  causing  almost  instant 
death. 

For  a  moment  Gideon  stood  staring  at  the  body 
of  the  bear.  He  could  hardly  realize  that  the  huge 
animal  was  really  dead.  He  thrust  out  the  barrel 
of  his  rifle  and  cautiously  poked  the  limp,  motion- 
less body  with  its  muzzle.  It  lay  motionless,  inert 
as  a  bag  of  grain. 

For  a  brief  moment,  as  he  realized  all  that  had 
so  suddenly  happened,  all  that  might  have  happened, 
his  blood  seemed  to  stop  flowing,  his  knees  trem- 
bled; and  then  the  blood  surged  back  through  his 
veins  and  he  threw  back  his  head  and  gave  a  whoop 
of  triumph. 

He  had  killed  his  first  bear! 

"Gee-mi-ma,  but  he  is  a  whopper!"  and  his 
eyes  proudly  measured  the  great  hairy  form.  "I 
don't  believe  dad  ever  shot  a  bigger  bear  than  that. 


1 8  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

I  reckon  it  will  take  a  yoke  of  oxen  to  drag  that 
monster  into  camp.  I  must  tell  dad,"  and  with  a 
last  look  at  the  dead  beast  Gideon  started  off  on 
the  run  for  the  camp,  his  eyes  and  face  glowing 
with  excitement. 

The  moment  he  came  within  sight  of  his  father 
and  mother  and  Ruth,  he  swung  his  hat  around  his 
head  and  yelled. 

"Gid  is  some  excited,"  grinned  Big  Tom,  as  he 
looked  up  and  saw  the  running  boy.  "  Reckon  he 
got  the  buck  —  No,  I  reckon  from  the  way  he's 
acting  it's  a  whale,"  he  added,  laughing.  "  One 
would  think  he  had  never  seen  a  deer  before,  much 
less  shot  one.  Say,"  he  called,  as  Gideon  rushed 
up,  flushed,  panting  and  almost  breathless,  "  where's 
the  whale?" 

"The  whale?"  and  Gideon  stared  blankly  at  his 
father. 

"  Yes.  I  reckoned  from  the  way  you  were  yell- 
ing and  swinging  your  hat  that  you  must  have  shot 
a  whale  at  least,"  and  the  grin  on  Big  Tom's  face 
broadened. 

"I  did!  I  did!  A  whale  of  a  bear!  The 
biggest—" 

"You  are  hurt!"  and  Mrs.  Clay,  who  had  just 
caught  sight  of  his  torn  leg,  which  had  bled  suffi- 
ciently to  look  much  more  serious  than  it  really  was, 
hurried  to  him,  her  face  white  with  dread. 

"Pshaw!  That's  just  a  scratch!"  and  Gideon 
motioned  her  back.  "But,  Dad,  I've  killed  the 
biggest  bear  you — " 


Gideon  Goes  Deer  Hunting  19 

"  What's  that,  my  son  ?  "  and  with  a  long  stride 
Big  Tom  was  by  the  side  of  Gideon,  a  look  of 
concern  on  his  face.  "A  bear;  and  hurt!"  and 
he  was  down  on  his  knees  by  the  side  of  Mrs.  Clay, 
examining  the  long  scratch  made  by  the  death- 
swipe  of  the  bear. 

Not  until  both  had  assured  themselves  that  it 
really  was  nothing  more  than  a  scratch,  would  they 
listen  to  the  boy's  excited  account  of  how  he  killed 
the  bear. 

Mrs.  Clay  carefully  washed  the  long  scratch  made 
in  Gideon's  leg  by  the  bear's  claws  and  rubbed  a 
little  homemade  ointment  on  it;  and  then  Gideon 
and  his  father  yoked  up  a  couple  of  the  oxen,  tied 
a  long  drag-rope  to  the  ring  in  the  yoke  and  started 
off  after  the  carcass  of  the  bear. 

"He  sure  is  a  whopper!"  declared  Big  Tom,  as 
he  halted  the  oxen  by  the  side  of  the  body  of  the 
dead  bear  and  measured  the  hairy  form  with  his 
eyes.  "  I  reckon  you  got  the  champion  of  the  Rock 
River  Valley,  Gid,"  and  his  eyes  turned,  with  just 
a  little  pride  in  their  look,  to  the  flushed  face  of 
the  boy.  "  Now,  just  hold  up  the  head,  while  I  tie 
the  drag-rope  around  the  neck." 

Gideon  seized  the  head  of  the  bear  with  both 
hands  and  held  it  up,  while  his  father  tied  the  long 
rope,  fastened  to  the  ring  in  the  yoke,  firmly  around 
the  hairy  neck.  This  done  the  oxen  were  started 
camp- ward  and  soon  the  body  of  the  dead  bear  lay 
on  the  ground,  near  the  blazing  camp  fire  that  had 
been  kindled  midway  between  the  two  big  wagons. 


20  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Mr.  Clay  at  once  skinned  the  dead  animal,  cut 
out  the  choicest  portions  of  meat;  and  then  again 
tied  the  drag-rope  to  the  carcass  and  had  the  oxen 
draw  the  remains  far  out  on  the  prairie  away  from 
the  camp. 

That  night  our  pioneer  friends  feasted  on  bear- 
steak,  instead  of  venison;  and  I  doubt  if  there  was 
a  prouder  or  a  happier  boy  in  all  that  western 
country  than  Gideon  Clay,  as  he  sat  at  the  rude 
supper  table,  spread  out  on  the  top  of  an  old  chest, 
and  ate  the  meat  cut  from  his  first  bear.  Of  course 
the  meat  tasted  extra  good  to  him;  but,  to  the 
others,  it  seemed  just  a  little  strong  and  tough. 


CHAPTER  III 

IMPROMPTU  HOUSE  BUILDING 

"TVTOW,"  Mr.  Clay  declared,  as  he  arose  from 
•  ^  his  somewhat  hurriedly  eaten  supper,  "  we 
must  rush  up  some  sort  of  a  shelter  for  the  night 
and  for  the  two  or  three  days  that  must  pass  before 
we  can  get  the  half-faced  camp  in  shape.  Let  me 
see,  what  shall  it  be  ?  "  and  his  eyes  looked  search- 
ingly  around  the  little  encampment.  "I  have  it," 
and  his  face  cleared.  "We  will  make  a  roof  out 
of  one  of  the  wagon  tops.  We  can  spread  out  the 
bows,  so  as  to  widen  the  top  and  give  us  more  space 
beneath  and  tie  the  ends  of  the  bows  to  strong  stakes 
driven  into  the  ground.  This  will  give  us  the  frame. 
We  will  need  eight  —  better  make  it  ten  —  straight 
stakes  about  eight  feet  long  and  as  big  around  as 
your  wrist,  Gid,  so  take  your  ax  and  hurry  to  the 
woods  and  cut  them,  while  your  mother  and  I  are 
getting  the  top  off  the  wagon  and  making  things 
ready.  You  can  go  with  Gid,"  and  he  turned  to 
Ruth,  who  had  made  a  little  nest  of  soft  grass  for 
the  baby,  in  which  she  was  sleeping  soundly,  "  and 
help  him  with  the  stakes.  Hurry  back ! "  he  called, 
as  Gideon  and  Ruth  started  off  on  the  run  toward 
the  woods. 

In  half  an  hour  the  two  children  were  back  with 
the  ten  stakes. 

21 


22  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

By  this  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clay  had  the  canvas 
top,  with  its  four  bent  hickory  bows,  off  the  wagon, 
the  ground  cleared,  and  everything  in  readiness  for 
the  projected  little  house. 

All  worked  fast  and  hard;  and  in  a  short  time 
they  had  the  eight  stakes  driven  deep  into  the 
ground  at  the  proper  distances  apart,  the  ends  of 
the  four  wagon-bows  firmly  tied  to  the  tops  of 
the  stakes,  in  such  a  way  that  they  formed  an 
arched  frame  above  the  ground,  and  the  cloth  of 
the  canvas  wagon-cover  drawn  over  this  frame  and 
tied  in  place.  The  sides  and  one  of  the  ends  were 
now  closed  with  skins  and  blankets  firmly  tied  to 
the  stakes;  and  to  keep  the  water  from  running 
inside  the  enclosure  and  soaking  the  ground,  should 
it  rain,  Gideon  and  his  father  dug  a  shallow  trench 
all  around  the  little  house,  throwing  the  dirt  up 
against  the  bottom  of  the  blankets  and  the  skins 
to  hold  them  firmly  down  and  to  keep  the  air  out. 

"There,  I  call  that  a  pretty  fair  impromptu 
house,"  Big  Tom  declared,  with  satisfaction,  when 
the  last  shovelful  of  dirt  had  been  thrown  up  against 
the  sides  of  this  rude  shelter.  "It's  large  enough 
to  protect  all,  if  we  sit  close,  and  to  furnish  cover 
for  such  goods  as  the  weather  might  harm.  I 
reckon  we  can  make  ourselves  comfortable  in  it  for 
a  few  days,  don't  you  think  so,  Martha?" 

"  Yes,"  agreed  Martha,  heartily,  "  it  will  do  fine. 
It  beats  all  what  you  have  done  with  a  few  yards 
of  cloth  and  skins  and  poles.  You  are  a  genius, 
Tom,  when  it  comes  to  making  something  out  of 


Impromptu  House  Building  23 

almost  nothing,"  and  her  eyes  turned  admiringly 
to  the  face  of  her  husband. 

"  Have  to  be  in  a  new  country,  where  everything 
is  raw/'  laughed  Big  Tom.  "Now  it  is  getting 
late  and  we  must  hurry  and  get  things  under  shelter 
and  herd  up  and  hobble  the  critters.  Don't  want 
to  be  chasing  all  over  the  country  after  them  in  the 
morning.  Gid,"  and  he  turned  to  the  boy,  "you 
get  the  critters  together;  and  Martha  and  Ruth 
and  I  will  carry  the  things  into  the  house  and  get 
the  place  shipshape." 

In  a  short  time,  Gideon  had  the  cattle  and  the 
horses  herded  together  near  the  camp  and  securely 
hobbled,  to  prevent  their  wandering  during  the 
night,  while  his  father  and  mother  and  Ruth  had 
moved  into  the  rude  shelter,  that  had  been  so 
quickly  and  ingeniously  improvised,  things  that  the 
rain  or  the  dew  might  harm. 

"Now,  for  our  beds,"  grinned  Big  Tom,  and, 
picking  up  a  scythe,  he  began,  with  swift  strong 
strokes,  cutting  the  long  grass  that  covered  the 
prairie,  while  Gideon  and  Ruth  carried  it  into  the 
little  house  and  spread  it  out  over  the  hard  ground 
where  they  were  to  make  their  beds  for  the  night. 
Then  Mrs.  Clay  placed  blankets  and  skins  over 
the  grass  —  and  as  soft  and  as  comfortable  beds 
as  tired  bodies  could  wish  were  ready. 

Already  a  huge  camp  fire  was  blazing  brightly  a 
few  feet  in  front  of  the  house-opening,  with  a  large 
pile  of  wood  near-by  with  which  to  replenish  it 
during  the  night,  giving  warmth  and  cheer  and  an 


24  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

added  picturesqueness  to  the  quaint  wilderness 
camp. 

"Reckon  we've  done  all  we  can  do  for  today," 
Big  Tom  declared,  at  last,  as  he  straightened  up  his 
huge  form  and,  standing  by  the  side  of  the  camp 
fire,  glanced  searchingly  around.  "Everything 
'pears  to  be  about  shipshape ;  therefore,  seeing  that 
it's  getting  late  and  that  we're  all  about  tuckered, 
I  move  that  we  retire  to  our  downy  —  grassy,  I 
mean — couches. ' ' 

"  Second  the  motion,"  laughed  Mrs.  Clay. 

"Carried,  unanimous,"  asserted  Big  Tom,  auto- 
cratically. "All  get  inside  our  mansion  at  once. 
Remember,  sunup,  everybody  up,"  and,  with  a  final 
searching  look  around  the  peaceful  encampment, 
he  suddenly  grabbed  Gideon  up  under  one  big  arm 
and  Ruth  under  the  other  and  carried  them,  laugh- 
ing and  kicking,  into  the  house  and  threw  them 
down  on  the  blanket-covered  grass. 

There  was  little  undressing  to  be  done;  and  in  a 
short  time  all  were  reposing  on  their  "grassy 
couches." 

Gideon  lay  near  the  opening,  where  he  could  look 
out  into  the  mystery  of  the  night;  and  tired  as  he 
was,  it  was  long  before  he  closed  his  eyes  in  sleep, 
so  fascinated  was  he  by  the  weird  beauty  of  the 
scene. 

A  full  moon  shone  down  from  a  cloudless  sky; 
and  Gideon  thought  that  never  before  had  the  moon 
looked  as  big  and  as  bright  and  the  stars  as  numer- 
ous and  as  luminous  as  they  did  now.  From  where 


Impromptu  House  Building  25 

he  lay  he  could  see  far  out  over  the  peaceful  prairie, 
now  almost  soundless  with  the  silence  of  night. 
The  hoot  of  an  owl,  softened  by  the  distance,  came 
from  the  neighboring  forest.  An  eerie  rustling, 
like  the  lazy  flappings  of  innumerable  soft  wings, 
indistinctly  heard,  seemed  to  come  from  the  air  all 
around.  A  katydid  called  from  the  grass  outside. 
But  these  sounds  did  not  break,  rather  they  seemed 
to  Gideon  to  accentuate  the  silence  of  the  night. 
Then,  suddenly,  from  far  out  on  the  prairie,  came 
the  prolonged  howl  of  a  wolf,  answered  almost  in- 
stantly by  another  howl,  and  then  another,  and 
another,  until  the  surrounding  air  seemed  filled  with 
the  distant  howlings,  gradually  coming  nearer  and 
concentrating  at  a  point  a  half  mile  or  more  from 
the  camp. 

Gideon  raised  himself  up  on  one  elbow  and  lis- 
tened apprehensively.  Were  the  wolves  about  to 
attack  the  camp?  He  turned  to  his  father,  who 
lay  next  to  him.  Ruth  and  his  mother  were  asleep. 

"  The  tarnal  critters  have  found  the  body  of  the 
dead  bear,"  Big  Tom  growled,  "and  are  holding  a 
pow-wow  over  it  according  to  their  wolfish  natures. 
The  fire  will  keep  them  away  from  the  camp.  Lay 
down  and  let  them  howl.  It's  their  own  lungs  that 
is  furnishing  the  wind,"  and  he  rolled  over  and 
pulled  the  blanket  up  over  his  ears. 

Gideon  lay  down;  and  soon  the  distant  howling 
and  snarling  of  the  wolves  began  to  mingle  in  with 
his  dreams;  and,  at  last,  lulled  to  rest  by  this  wild 
lullaby  of  the  prairies,  the  tired  boy  slept. 


CHAPTER  IV 

SILAS  WEGG 

IDEON  did  not  awaken  the  next  morning  until 
his  father  had  half  pulled  him  out  from  under 
his  blanket  and  had  shaken  him  vigorously;  but, 
the  moment  he  had  rubbed  the  sleepy  seeds  out  of 
his  eyes,  he  was  up  on  his  feet  and  eager  to  begin 
the  day's  work.  Mrs.  Clay  was  already  up  and  at 
work  about  the  camp  fire,  cooking  the  breakfast. 
Ruth  and  the  baby  still  lay,  side  by  side,  fast  asleep 
on  the  blankets. 

"Where's  Dad?"  Gideon  asked,  as  he  stepped 
outside  into  the  cool  morning  air. 

"  'Tending  the  cattle,"  Mrs.  Clay  answered,  look- 
ing up  with  a  smile  of  welcome.  "Good  sleep?" 

"Bully!"  Gideon  replied,  as  he  hurried  off  to 
help  his  father. 

"Hello,  son,"  Big  Tom  greeted,  as  Gideon  ran 
up  to  where  he  was  unhobbling  the  cattle  and  the 
horses.  "  Great  country  for  sleep,  isn't  it  ?  Thought 
I'd  have  to  yank  you  plumb  out  of  your  hide,  be- 
fore I  could  get  you  back  from  dreamland.  Feel 
all  right?" 

"Like  a  colt,"  and  Gideon  jumped  up  and 
cracked  his  heels  together  twice  before  he  came 
down.  "Isn't  this  air  great?"  and  he  drew  in  a 
long  breath  of  the  cool,  invigorating  morning  air. 

26 


Silas  Wegg  27 


"Feels  just  as  if  I'd  like  to  go  swimming  in  it. 
And  the  sun!  Did  you  ever  see  such  a  glorious 
sun?"  and  he  pointed  to  where  the  sun  was  just 
rising  above  the  eastern  horizon,  glowing  red  and 
golden  through  the  morning  mists  that  rose  from 
the  prairie.  "  Why,  it  looks  as  big  around  as  the 
bottom  of  one  of  ma's  washtubs!  Now,  what  are 
we  going  to  do  today?"  and  he  turned  eagerly  to 
his  father. 

"  Get  to  work  on  the  half-faced  camp.  We  must 
have  some  sort  of  a  solid  house  up  just  as  soon  as 
possible,  something  that  will  stand  a  heavy  wind 
and  rain  and  give  us  plenty  of  elbow  room.  Here, 
you  get  the  pail  and  milk  Brindle  and  then  unhobble 
her.  I'm  going  to  see  if  I  can't  get  one  of  them 
gobblers  for  dinner.  That  bear  meat  is  tougher 
than  boot  leather,"  and  Big  Tom  hurried  to  the 
house  for  his  rifle  and  started  off  toward  a  couple 
of  big  trees  that  towered  above  the  edge  of  the 
woods  half  a  mile  away,  from  the  direction  of 
which,  about  every  two  minutes,  came  the  gobble- 
gobble  of  wild  turkeys. 

Gideon  had  just  finished  milking  Brindle  when 
he  heard  the  crack  of  his  father's  rifle;  and  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  later  he  was  back,  with  a  large  turkey 
gobbler  hanging  from  the  barrel  of  his  shouldered 
rifle.  The  bullet  had  cut  off  the  head  of  the  gob- 
bler as  cleanly  as  if  it  had  been  done  with  a  knife. 

After  breakfast  Gideon  and  his  father  yoked  up 
a  couple  of  the  oxen  to  the  emptied  wagon,  threw 
their  axes  into  the  wagon  box;  and,  rifles  in  hands, 


28  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

started  off  for  the  woods  to  procure  the  posts  and 
poles  needed  in  building  the  half-faced  camp. 

"There,  that  tree  will  do  for  one  of  the  back 
posts,"  Big  Tom  declared,  pointing  to  the  straight 
trunk  of  a  tree  some  six  inches  in  diameter,  as  he 
brought  the  oxen  to  a  halt  at  the  edge  of  the  woods. 
"You  cut  it  down,  Gid,  while  I  look  for  another 
back  post.  Cut  it  close  to  the  ground,  trim  off  all 
the  lower  branches  close  to  the  trunk;  but  be  sure 
and  leave  those  forking  branches  at  the  top.  They 
are  just  what  we  need  to  hold  up  the  roof  poles." 

"  All  right,  Dad,"  Gideon  responded  heartily ;  and 
a  moment  later  the  keen  blade  of  his  axe  was  biting 
deep  into  the  trunk  of  the  tree. 

In  a  short  time  Gideon  and  his  father  had  the 
four  corner  and  the  two  center  posts  cut  and 
trimmed  and  loaded  into  the  wagon.  Then  they 
filled  the  wagon  box  with  roughly  trimmed  poles, 
ranging  in  length  from  eight  to  fifteen  feet. 

"  I  reckon  that  will  be  enough  to  give  us  a  start," 
Big  Tom  said,  when  the  box  was  full.  "Now 
we'll  get  back  to  camp,"  and,  shouting  to  the  oxen, 
he  started  the  loaded  wagon  campward. 

A  couple  of  rods  from  where  they  had  built  the 
rude  little  house  the  night  before  was  a  smooth, 
level  bit  of  ground,  some  thirty  feet  square  and  a 
little  higher  than  the  surrounding  land.  Big  Tom 
halted  the  oxen  at  this  spot. 

"Looks  to  me  as  if  the  best  place  for  the  half- 
faced  camp  was  right  here,"  he  declared.  "You 
know  we  will  have  to  live  in  it  for  some  time,  and 


Silas  Wegg  29 


so  we  want  to  make  ourselves  as  comfortable  as 
possible.  What  do  you  say,  Martha?"  and  he 
turned  to  Mrs.  Clay,  who  was  busy  bending  over 
the  fire,  broiling  the  turkey  on  a  spit,  made  by  run- 
ning a  long  sharpened  piece  of  a  hickory  limb 
lengthwise  through  the  body  of  the  turkey  and 
thrusting  the  other  end  deeply  into  the  ground  at 
the  proper  distance  and  slant  for  the  turkey  to 
hang  directly  over  the  coals  of  the  fire.  A  forked 
stick,  driven  into  the  ground  under  and  at  right 
angles  to  the  limb  and  in  such  a  way  that  the  limb 
rested  in  its  fork,  helped  support  the  weight  of  the 
turkey. 

Mrs.  Clay  slowly  straightened  up,  a  long  fork, 
with  which  she  had  been  testing  and  turning  the 
turkey,  in  her  hand,  and  critically  examined  the 
spot  indicated  by  Big  Tom. 

"Yes,"  she  assented,  after  her  eyes  had  carefully 
scrutinized  the  bit  of  ground,  "that  will  make 
a  good  place  for  the  camp ;  and  it  is  near  the  spring. 
How  big  were  you  thinking  of  making  it?" 

"I  calculate  about  fifteen  feet  by  twenty  will  be 
about  the  right  size.  We  don't  want  it  too  big; 
and  yet  we  want  plenty  of  elbow  room.  What  do 
you  think  ?  " 

For  a  moment  Mrs.  Clay  stood  with  puckered 
brows.  She  was  evidently  doing  some  rapid  mental 
figuring.  Then  her  face  cleared. 

"That'll  be  plenty  big  enough.  Now,  be  sure 
and  make  the  ground  for  the  floor  as  smooth  and 
level  as  possible.  I'll  be  powerful  glad  when  I  can 


30  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

get  on  a  wood  floor  again,"  and  with  a  swift  glance 
in  the  direction  of  Ruth  and  the  baby,  who  were 
playing  on  the  grass  near-by,  she  returned  to  her 
turkey,  which  was  now  browning  finely,  and  sending 
out  the  most  savory  odors. 

By  the  time  the  wagon  was  unloaded  and  the 
oxen  unyoked  and  turned  loose  to  feed  with  the 
other  animals,  the  dinner  was  ready. 

Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  —  the  baby  was  now  kicking 
and  crowing  in  a  nest  of  soft  grass  near-by  —  had 
improvised  a  table  out  of  a  couple  of  old  boxes 
turned  bottomside  up,  over  which  they  had  spread 
a  white  tablecloth  and  placed  thereon  their  best 
dishes. 

"My,  but  we  are  getting  stylish,"  grinned  Big 
Tom,  as  he  seated  himself  on  an  upturned  box  in 
front  of  the  smoking  turkey,  which  lay  on  a  large 
pewter  platter.  "  What's  it  all  in  honor  of  ?  Tain't 
nobody's  birthday — " 

"It's  yours!  — Yours!"  yelled  Ruth,  making  a 
rush  for  him.  "You  are  forty  years  old  today; 
and  I  am  going  to  give  you  forty  thumps  on  the 
back  and  a  great  big  one  to  grow  on." 

" I  swun,  if  it  ain't! "  and  Big  Tom's  grin  broad- 
ened. "If  it  wasn't  for  you  and  mother,  I'd  plumb 
forget  I  ever  had  a  birthday.  Thump  away.  I 
deserve  them  all."  This  to  Ruth,  who,  with  all  her 
young  might,  was  now  thumping  her  father's  broad 
back  and  conscientiously  counting  each  thump. 

"  Thirty-eight !  —  thirty-nine ! !  —  forty ! ! !  Now 
for  that  great  big  one  to  grow  on!"  and  Ruth 


Silas  Wegg  31 


threw  both  arms  around  her  father's  neck  and  gave 
him  a  smack  on  the  cheek  with  her  two  rosy  lips 
that  sounded  like  the  crack  of  a  pistol.  "  There, 
I  hope  you  will  have  forty  more  happy  years !  And 
here's  —  here's  something  I  made  for  you,"  and 
she  handed  her  father  a  small  parcel,  carefully 
wrapped  up  in  a  piece  of  old  paper,  and  stood  by 
his  side,  with  eyes  dancing  with  excitement,  while 
he,  with  many  remarks  of  wonder  and  surprise, 
unwrapped  it. 

"A  coonskin  cap!  I  declare,  you  couldn't  have 
hit  on  anything  that  would  have  pleased  me  more. 
And  you  made  it  all  yourself!"  and  he  held  the 
cap  up  where  he  could  examine  it  better. 

"Every  bit  of  it.  Didn't  I,  Mother?"  and  the 
delighted  girl  turned  to  her  mother  for  confirmation. 

k'  Yes,"  smiled  Mrs.  Clay,  "  Ruth  sewed  every 
stitch  of  it." 

"And  it's  lined  with  silk!"  affirmed  the  pleased 
man,  as  he  placed  the  cap  on  his  head,  so  that  its 
long,  ringed  tail  hung  down  his  back.  "  Fits  as  if 
it  had  growed  there.  I'd  be  proud  to  wear  it  at  a 
reception  to  the  President  of  the  United  States." 

"  Honest,"  Ruth  was  now  dancing  up  and  down 
with  pleased  excitement,  "  I  made  every  bit  of  it. 
Mother  only  showed  me  how;  and  Gid  shot  the 
coon  and  tanned  the  skin;  and  I  made  it  on  the 
sly;  and  you  never  once  caught  me;  and  —  " 

"You're  the  best  and  smartest  girl  in  seventeen 
states!  And  this  tells  you  how  much  your  dad 
loves  you,"  and  the  big  arms  suddenly  swung  out 


32  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

and  caught  her  up  and  hugged  her  close,  while  the 
bearded  lips  pressed  the  plump  cheeks  again  and 
again. 

At  this  advantageous  moment  Mrs.  Clay  and 
Gideon  both  made  a  rush  for  Big  Tom;  and  began 
pounding  him  on  his  back  and  shouting  and  laugh- 
ing, so  that  it  is  no  wonder  not  one  of  them  saw  or 
heard  the  tall,  lank  man,  completely  dressed  in  deer- 
skin, from  the  beaded  moccasins  on  his  feet  to  the 
long  fringed  coat  that  hung  loosely  about  his  frame, 
until  he  spoke. 

"  Howd'y,  howd'y,  folks,"  said  the  tall  stranger, 
as,  dropping  the  long-barreled  rifle  from  his  shoul- 
der and  resting  the  butt  on  the  ground,  he  gripped 
the  barrel  with  both  of  his  hands  and  stood  regard- 
ing this  little  tableau  of  domestic  affections  with 
amused  and  quizzical  eyes. 

All  jumped  and  quickly  untangled  themselves, 
while  Gideon  and  Ruth  turned  on  the  stranger  two 
pairs  of  startled  and  wondering  eyes. 

He  was  a  very  tall  man,  some  six  feet  four 
inches  in  height,  with  a  scrawny,  bony  frame  that 
looked  as  if  it  might  be  made  out  of  iron,  strung 
together  with  steel  wires  and  covered  over  with 
wrinkled  brown  leather,  so  strong-looking  was  it 
and  so  sun-bronzed  and  weather-beaten  was  the 
skin  of  the  face  and  the  body  where  it  had  been 
exposed  to  the  weather.  The  face  was  thin  and 
narrow,  with  small  black  eyes,  set  close  to  the 
base  of  a  long  hooked  nose,  a  wide  mouth  and  a 
chin  that  came  squarely  to  an  end.  Altogether 


Howd'y,  howd'y,   folks,"  said  the  tall  stranger 


Silas  Wegg  33 


there  was  something  of  the  piercing  look  of  an 
eagle  in  the  thin  face,  with  its  clear  eyes  and 
beaklike  nose. 

At  first  sight  of  his  face,  Gideon  and  Ruth  were 
quite  sure  that  they  would  not  like  the  man;  but, 
when  he  turned  his  bright  eyes,  twinkling  with 
good-humor,  in  their  direction,  both  felt  that  back 
of  the  queer  face  and  form  was  a  very  likeable 
personality;  and  from  that  moment  he  was  their 
trusted  friend. 

Big  Tom  had  sat  for  a  minute,  staring  at  the 
tall  stranger;  then,  with  a  look  of  surprise  and 
pleased  recognition  on  his  face,  he  jumped  to  his 
feet  and  held  out  his  hand. 

"I  swun,"  he  exclaimed,  "if  it  ain't  Silas  Wegg! 
Say,  but  you  are  a  sight  to  make  sore  eyes  well ! " 
and  the  two  hands  gripped  and  the  two  pairs  of 
eyes  looked  straight  into  each  other. 

"Mother,"  and  Big  Tom  turned  to  Mrs.  Clay, 
"this  is  Silas,  Silas  Wegg.  You've  heard  me 
tell  of  Si  Wegg.  He's  fought  more  Indians  and 
killed  more  bears  than  any  other  man  west  of 
the  Alleghanies." 

Mrs.  Clay  greeted  and  welcomed  Silas  warmly; 
and  Gideon  and  Ruth  shook  his  ironlike  hand  and 
looked  up  into  his  face  with  the  shy  awe  of 
childhood  in  the  presence  of  a  hero;  for  the  fame 
of  Silas  Wegg,  as  an  adventurous  hunter  and 
trapper  and  old  Indian-fighter,  was  well  known  to 
both. 

"  Sit  right  down,"  Mrs.  Clay  urged  hospitably, 


34  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  moment  the  greetings  were  over,  "and  help 
us  celebrate  Tom's  birthday.  He's  forty  years  old 
today." 

"Yes,  do,"  joined  Big  Tom.  "I  reckon  there's 
turkey  enough  for  all  and  to  spare.  It  was  about 
the  biggest  gobbler  I  ever  shot.  Get  up  and  give 
Silas  your  seat,  Gid." 

"No,-  stay  whar  yew  be,"  and  Silas  waved 
Gideon's  proffered  seat  aside.  "  I'll  squat  on  this 
box  'longside  th'  missus.  I  allers  was  partial  tew 
good  lookin'  wimen,"  and,  with  a  broad  grin,  Silas 
Wegg  pulled  up  an  old  box  to  the  table  and 
"squatted"  down  on  it  by  the  side  of  the  smiling 
Mrs.  Clay.  "Now,"  and  he  turned  to  Big  Tom, 
"  start  some  o'  that  turkey  this  way.  I'm  as  hungry 
as  a  b'ar." 

"Sounds  like  old  times,  Si,  to  hear  about  your 
famished  condition,"  grinned  Big  Tom,  as  he  cut 
off  a  huge  slice  of  the  turkey  and  passed  it  to 
Silas.  "Reckon  I've  heard  you  make  that  remark 
about  being  as  hungry  as  a  bear  something  like 
ten  thousand  times." 

"Reckon  yew  have,"  grinned  back  Silas.  "I 
allers  was  subject  tew  stumick  emptiness.  'Peers 
sort  o'  chronic.  Doctor  says  I've  got  tew  eat  or 
I'll  die,"  and,  with  a  solemn  glance  at  Gideon  and 
a  sly  wink  of  the  eye  next  to  Ruth,  he  opened  a 
cavernous  mouth  and  rilled  it  with  a  forkful  of 
turkey. 

"Man,  but  I  was  surprised  when  I  looked  up 
and  saw  you  standing  there!"  Big  Tom  declared, 


Silas  Wegg  35 


as  he  filled  his  own  plate  with  savory  slices  of  the 
turkey.  "  The  last  I  heard  of  you,  you'd  gone 
across  the  Mississippi  to  hunt  buffalo;  and  that 
was  a  good  five  years  ago!  Now,  how  in  creation 
did  you  manage  to  drop  down  on  us  out  here  in 
this  Illinois  wilderness?" 

"Jest  one  o'  God's  coinsidents,  as  Preacher 
Cartwright  used  tew  say.  Was  out  huntin'  b'ar 
an'  seed  your  trail  an'  it  sorter  smelt  like  it  had 
been  made  by  a  good  cook,  so  I  follered  it  up.  I 
kalkerlated  tew  hit  yew  'bout  dinner  time;  for  I 
knowed  yew'd  got  wimen  folks  with  yew;  an'  it's 
wuth  a  twenty-mile  walk  eny  day  in  this  female- 
fersaken  country  tew  eat  wimen's  cookin'.  I  shore 
was  right;  for  I  never  knowed  a  turkey  tew  taste 
as  good  afore,"  and  he  turned  a  pair  of  appreciative 
eyes  in  the  direction  of  Mrs.  Clay.  "  Yew  see  I've 
sort  o'  settled  here  in  northern  Illinoia,  leastwise 
I've  been  livin'  here  in  my  own  log  cabin  for  th' 
last  tew  years  an'  jest  hunted  an'  trapped  round 
promiscuslike,  when  I  took  th'  notion.  But,"  and 
Silas  shook  his  head  gloomily,  "I  reckon  I'll  soon 
have  tew  pull  up  an'  cross  th'  Mississippi.  Th' 
settlers  are  a-gettin'  that  thick  that  a  feller  can 
hardly  put  a  foot  down  without  steppin'  on  one 
on  'em.  Why,  thar's  more'n  a  dozen  families 
already  in  th'  Rock  River  Valley;  an'  some  on 
'em's  not  more'n  ten  miles  apart;  an'  that's  tew 
close  fer  th'  kumfert  o'  eny  white  man  what's  use 
tew  livin'  whar  thar's  plenty  o'  breathin'  room. 
Now,  yew  ain't  thinkin'  o'  settlin',  be  yew?"  and 


36  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

his  shrewd  eyes  glanced  swiftly  and  suspiciously 
around  the  little  encampment. 

"That  I  am,"  grinned  Big  Tom;  "and  right 
here  on  my  own  land.  Bought  it  last  summer  of 
the  Government,  two  hundred  acres ! " 

"An'  yew're  a-goin'  tew  plow  it,  an'  dig  it  up  with 
a  hoe,  an*  put  in  corn  an'  wheat  an'  sech,  an'  work 
like  a  hoss,  'stead  o'  a  human,  when  all  yew've 
got  tew  dew  is  tew  shoulder  your  rifle  an'  roam 
th'  wilderness  a  king!"  and  the  eyes  of  the  old 
hunter  brightened  and  his  back  unconsciously 
straightened. 

"Yes,"  answered  Big  Tom  softly.  "Yes,  Si, 
I  am  going  to  make  a  home  for  the  wife  and  the 
children.  You  forgot  the  wife  and  the  children, 
Si.  I  don't  mind  working  like  a  horse  for  them. 
You'd  do  the  same,  if  you  had  a  wife  and  children." 

"I  might,  I  swrun  I  might  try,  'specially  if  th' 
wimen  was  a  good  cook,  tew  settle  down  an'  be  a 
plow-pusher.  'Twould  be  mighty  temptin',  'specially 
th'  cookin';  but,  I  reckon,  'twouldn't  be  more'n  a 
month  or  tew  afore  I'd  git  tew  feelin'  kindy  choked 
an'  cramptlike  an'  jest  have  tew  shoulder  my  old 
gun  an'  light  out  for  all  outdoors,  whar  a  feller 
can  breathe  free  an'  easy  an'  have  a-plenty  o'  elbow 
room.  It's  powerful  hard  tew  teach  an  old  dog 
new  ways  o'  huntin';  an',  I  reckon,  I'll  allers  have 
tew  live  as  I  allers  have  lived.  But,"  and  the 
quizzical  look  came  back  into  the  eyes,  "  sech  grub 
as  this,"  and  he  made  a  sweeping  gesture  that 
included  the  whole  table  and  ended  in  a  flourish  in 


Silas  Wegg  37  % 


front  of  Mrs.  Clay's  nose,  "  is  powerful  temptin' ; 
an'  them  tew  yunks,"  and  his  eyes  passed  swiftly 
from  the  face  of  Gideon  and  rested  longingly  on 
the  dimpling  cheeks  and  laughing  eyes  of  Ruth. 
"  is  enough  tew  make  a  lone  man  like  me  have 
heartache  every  time  he  looks  on  'em/* 

"They  sure  do  get  in  a  feller's  heart  and  keep 
it  warm;  and,  likewise,  they  keep  him  scratching 
powerful  lively  to  keep  them  in  enough  to  eat.  I 
reckon  they're  mostly  stomachs,"  and  the  grin 
came  back  on  Big  Tom's  face.  "But,  your  plate 
is  empty !  Won't  you  let  me  fill  it  up  again  ?  " 

"  Don't  care  if  I  dew,  seein'  it's  in  cel'bration  o' 
yewr  birthday,"  and  Si  passed  his  emptied  plate 
up  to  Big  Tom.  "  So  yew're  forty  years  old,  be  yew  ? 
Wai,  yew  ain't  no  spring  chicken  no  more,  nor  yit 
a  tough  old  rooster,  with  spurs  worn  smooth  an' 
comb  a-gettin'  a  leetle  shy  on  top,  but  still  spry  o' 
legs  an'  sound  oj  wind,  same  as  I  be.  Now,"  and 
he  turned  questioningly  to  Mrs.  Clay,  "how  old 
would  yew  take  me  tew  be?" 

For  a  minute  Mrs.  Clay  eyed  the  wrinkled, 
leatherlike  face  of  the  old  hunter,  with  its  keen 
clear  eyes  and  look  of  vigorous  power,  and  noted 
the  lean  strong  frame  that  showed  not  a  sign  of 
the  weaknesses  of  age,  then  she  smiled. 

"Yours  is  a  deceiving  face,"  she  said,  "but  I'd 
take  you  to  be  somewhere  between  fifty-five  and 
sixty;  and  powerful  well  preserved  at  that." 

"Sixty-seven  my  last  birthday!"  ejaculated 
Silas  Wegg,  with  a  triumphant  chuckle.  "  An'  still 


38  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

able  tew  outwalk,  outshoot,  out  jump,  outrun  an' 
outeat  eny  man  o'  my  length  in  th'  country. 
That's  what  comes  o'  livin'  in  th'  open,  whar  thar's 
plenty  o'  God's  air,  an'  leavin'  likker  an'  sech 
contraptions  o'  th'  devil  alone.  Never  drank  a 
drap  o'  likker,  not  even  a  drap  o'  hard  cider,  sence 
I  war  old  enough  tew  see  what  likker  does  tew 
'em  what  uses  it;  an'  I've  never  knowed  a  sick  day 
in  my  life.  Sixty-seven  years  old  an'  never  knowed 
a  sick  day  in  my  life! " 

"  Do  tell ! "  and  Mrs.  Clay  gazed  in  open  admira- 
tion at  the  hardy  old  exponent  of  total  abstinence 
and  outdoor  life.  "You  sure  don't  look  your 
age  and  you  don't  act  it.  Why,  you're  as  spry 
moving  as  a  young  man ! " 

"  So  I  be !  So  I  be !  Why,  I  reckon  I  kin  out- 
run an'  outjump  yewr  old  man;  an*  th'  feller, 
young  or  old,  who  kin  outrun  or  outjump  Big 
Tom  Clay  ain't  no  slouch,  I  kin  tell  yew.  Bet  yew 
twenty  loadin's  o'  powder  ag'in  twenty  loadin's 
that  I  kin  beat  yew  in  a  hundred-yards  run  or 
a-jumpin'.  Dew  yew  take  th'  bet,  Tom?"  and 
Silas  turned,  his  black  eyes  snapping,  to  Big  Tom. 

"Not  right  now,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "Not 
until  this  turkey  has  had  a  chance  to  settle.  I'm 
that  stuffed  I  couldn't  beat  a  mud  turtle  now.  But, 
'long  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  I'm 
feeling  lively  again,  I  don't  mind  if  I  give  you  a 
whirl.  I  sure  would  be  proud  to  beat  Silas  Wegg 
running  or  jumping!  If  I  did,  I  reckon  I'd  be  the 
first  man  that  ever  did.  Now,"  and  he  shoved  his 


Silas  Wegg  39 


plate  away  from  him,  "  I'm  plumb  stuffed.  Couldn't 
drive  another  mouthful  down  me  with  a  pile  driver." 

("  Nor  me,"  and  Silas  shoved  back  from  the 
table.  "  A  powerful  good  dinner,  a  mighty  powerful 
good  dinner,  Miss  Clay.  If  Tom  ever  gits  tired  o' 
yewr  cookin',  jest  let  me  know.  Now,"  and  his 
eyes  turned  to  the  unloaded  posts  and  poles,  "it 
looks  as  if  yew  war  a-plannin'  tew  put  up  a  half- 
faced  camp.  S'posin'  I  sot  tew  an'  help  yew.  I'm 
•  powerful  anxious  for  some  more  o'  that  cookin'," 
and,  with  a  wink  of  the  eye  in  the  direction  of 
Mrs.  Clay,  he  jumped  up  and  started  off  toward 
the  pile  of  posts  and  poles,  followed  by  Gideon 
and  his  father,  who  were  overjoyed  to  obtain  such 
efficient  help. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    RACE 

A  HALF-FACED  camp  to  our  eyes,  accustomed 
as  they  are  to  the  comfortable  and  often 
luxuriant  homes  of  the  present,  would  hardly  look 
like  a  fit  habitation  for  human  beings,  however 
humble  their  circumstances  might  be.  It  was  a 
floorless  shed,  rudely  made  by  planting  four 
forked  corner  posts  firmly  in  the  ground,  at  the 
proper  distance  apart  to  enclose  the  space  desired. 
Then,  to  support  the  roof  and  the  sides,  long  poles 
were  laid  from  the  forked  top  of  one  post  to  the 
forked  top  of  another  and  firmly  bound  in  place 
with  thongs  of  buckskin.  Across  these  poles  other 
poles  were  now  stretched  and  lashed  into  place 
with  strings  of  deerskin,  in  such  a  way  as  to  form 
the  framework  of  a  roof  that  sloped  sharply  down- 
ward from  the  rear,  the  back  posts  having  been 
left  several  feet  higher  than  those  in  front.  Over 
this  roof-bed  slabs  or  "  edgings  "  or  long  strips  of 
bark  were  arranged  so  as  to  shed  the  rain,  and 
held  in  place  by  heavy  stones  and  poles.  The  rear 
side  and  the  two  ends  were  "sided"  with  poles, 
stood  upright  side  by  side  and  as  close  together 
as  possible,  their  bottoms  sharpened  and  driven 
into  the  ground  and  their  tops  resting  against  the 
roof-poles,  to  which  they  were  tied  to 'hold  them 

40 


The  Race  41 


firmly  in  place.  The  many  openings  between  the 
poles  were  then  "chinked  in"  with  chips  and 
plastered  up  with  clay,  until  the  sides  were  prac- 
tically wind  proof.  The  remaining  lower  side  was 
not  "sided"  with  poles;  but  rudely  enclosed  by 
hanging  blankets  and  skins  from  the  roof -pole.  The 
ground  inside  was  smoothed  off  and  pounded  down 
hard  for  a  floor,  and  a  ditch  dug  around  the  outside, 
to  keep  the  water,  during  a  rain,  from  running 
inside.  Sometimes  a  crude  fireplace  and  chimney 
were  built  in  one  end  or  side  of  the  structure;  but 
often  the  cooking  was  done  over  a  camp  fire, 
outside  when  the  weather  permitted,  and  inside 
when  it  was  stormy. 

Such  was  the  half -faced  camp,  as  usually  built 
by  the  pioneer  —  a  rude  habitation,  indeed,  for  man 
to  live  in;  and  yet  it  sheltered  as  much  real  con- 
tentment and  happiness  as  do  the  more  costly  and 
pretentious  residences  of  today. 

As  soon  as  the  party  reached  the  piles  of  poles, 
Big  Tom  at  once  marked  out  the  site  of  the  half- 
faced  camp,  by  measuring  off  the  proper  distances 
and  then  driving  stakes  into  the  ground  at  the  four 
corners  and  connecting  them  with  a  strong  string. 
Then  he  and  Silas  set  to  work  digging  the  corner- 
post  holes,  while  Gideon  cleaned  and  leveled  off 
the  ground  inside  the  string  for  the  floor. 

The  two  men  and  the  boy  worked  fast  and  hard ; 
and  by  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they  had  the 
rude  framework  of  the  camp  up  —  the  four  corner 
posts  and  the  two  center  posts  firmly  set  in  the 


42  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

ground,  the  roof  poles  tied  in  their  places  in  the 
forked  tops  of  the  posts  and  the  ground  inside 
smoothed  and  leveled  off  to  the  satisfaction  of 
Mrs.  Clay,  who  had  critically  supervised  the  work. 

"There,  I  reckon  that  frame  will  stand  any 
wind  that  blows  in  Illinois  short  of  a  hurricane," 
and  Big  Tom  gripped  one  of  the  corner  posts  with 
his  two  hands  and  attempted  to  shake  the  structure. 
"  Firm  as  an  oak  tree,"  he  declared.  "  We're 
getting  on  like  a  house  afire.  Say,  but  it  is  right 
neighborly  of  you  to  pitch  in  and  help,  Si,"  and 
Big  Tom  turned  to  Wegg  with  a  look  that 
expressed  even  more  satisfaction  over  his  help 
than  did  his  words.  "  You  are  a  wonder.  You  are 
good  for  two  men's  work  yet." 

"Jest  'bout  as  good  as  I  ever  was,  so  far  as  I 
kin  see,"  and  Silas  straightened  up  his  tall  form 
and  threw  back  his  shoulders.  "Now,  how  'bout 
that  bet?  Twenty  loadin's  o'  powder  ag'in  twenty 
loadin's  that  I  kin  still  beat  yew  runnin'  or  a-jumpin'. 
Ain't  afeared  tew  race  a  sixty-seven-year-old  man, 
be  yew?"  and  Silas  chuckled. 

"Try  him,  Dad,  try  him,"  urged  Gideon 
excitedly.  He  had  unlimited  confidence  in  his 
father's  physical  prowess,  never  yet  having  seen 
him  beaten  at  any  of  the  rude  backwoods  sports. 
"  I  know  you  can  beat  him  running  or  jumping  or 
wrestling  or  anything." 

"If  you  don't,  I'll  have  to  race  him  myself," 
laughed  Mrs.  Clay.  "  I  wouldn't  let  a  sixty-seven- 
year-old  man  stump  me ! " 


The  Race  43 


"  Did  you  hear  that,  Si  ? "  grinned  Big  Tom. 
"Reckon  I'll  have  to  race  you,  just  to  keep  you 
from  getting  beat  by  a  woman,"  and  he  chuckled. 
"But  if  they  knowed  you  as  well  as  I  know  you, 
they  wouldn't  have  so  much  confidence  in  yours 
truly's  ability  to  win.  You  look  fit  to  race  a  deer," 
and  his  eyes  glanced  admiringly  up  and  down  the 
lank  bony  frame  of  the  old  hunter,  with  its  long 
staglike  legs,  unencumbered  by  an  ounce  of  useless 
flesh.  "  I  swun,  Si,  you  seem  to  get  tougher  and 
stronger  the  older  you  grow.  Howsomever,  it 
looks  as  if  it  was  up  to  me  to  do  my  best  for  the 
credit  of  the  Clay  family,"  and  Big  Tom  dropped 
the  ax  with  which  he  had  been  sharpening  some 
of  the  poles,  threw  off  his  loose  deerskin  coat  and 
stood  ready  for  the  race,  as  splendid  a  specimen  of 
vigorous  manhood  as  the  eye  could  wish  to  see,  with 
his  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  of  solid 
bones  and  powerful  muscles,  standing  six  feet  and 
two  inches  in  his  moccasined  feet. 

"  This  will  dew  for  th'  finishin'  line,"  and  Silas 
picked  up  a  piece  of  string  some  twelve  feet  long 
and  tied  one  end  to  a  wagon-wheel  and  the  other 
to  a  stake  driven  into  the  ground.  "We'll  pace 
off  one  hundred  yards  from  this  line;  an'  startin' 
from  thar,  th'  fust  one  tew  tech  this  line  wins  th' 
heat.  Best  tew  out  o'  three  heats  wins  th'  race. 
Th'  missus  kin  be  th'  judge,  an'  Gid  kin  start  us," 
and  Silas  threw  off  his  deerskin  coat  and  tightened 
up  his  belt. 

"O.  K.,"  agreed  Big  Tom.     "Come  on,  Gid," 


44  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

and,  followed  by  Silas  and  Gideon,  he  began  pacing 
off  one  hundred  yards,  starting  from  the  line  tied 
to  the  wagon- wheel,  while  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth 
took  up  their  station  where  they  could  best  see  the 
one  to  touch  the  line  first. 

At  the  one-hundred-yard  point,  Big  Tom  thrust 
a  sharpened  stick  into  the  ground,  to  the  end  of 
which  was  fastened  a  bit  of  white  cloth,  to  mark 
the  spot. 

"We  will  each  toe  the  stick,"  he  said;  "and  Gid 
can  give  the  word  to  go.  All  ready  at  the  finishing 
line?"  he  shouted  to  Mrs.  Clay. 

"  All  ready ! "  came  back  the  answer. 

"We  are  ready,  son/'  and  Big  Tom  turned  to 
Gideon,  as  the  two  men  each  placed  a  foot  alongside 
the  starting  stake  and  crouched  ready  for  the  word 
to  go. 

"  I'll  count  three  and  then  say  go,"  Gideon  said, 
as  he  took  his  station  a  little  to  the  front  and  to 
one  side  of  the  two  men.  "Are  you  ready,  Dad? 
Ready,  Si?" 

"Yes,"  Big  Tom  answered,  crouching  until  one 
knee  almost  touched  the  ground. 

"On  th'  scratch,"  replied  Silas,  his  tall  form 
bent  nearly  double  and  his  small  black  eyes  snap- 
ping with  excitement.  "  Let  her  go,  son ! " 

Gideon  raised  his  hand. 

"One!  "and  the  hand  fell. 

"  Two ! "  again  the  raised  hand  fell. 

"  Three !  —  Go ! "  he  shouted. 

With  a  bound  like  that  of  two  startled  stags,  the 


The  Race  45 


two  men  were  off,  with  Gideon,  in  great  excitement, 
racing  after  them. 

For  the  first  fifty  yards,  so  far  as  the  eye  could 
judge,  there  was  not  an  inch's  difference  in  the 
positions  of  the  two  men;  and  when  they  crossed 
the  finishing  line,  they  were  so  close  together  that 
Gideon,  who  was  not  a  dozen  yards  behind  them, 
could  not  tell  which  one  had  won  the  heat. 

"Who  beat?  Who  won?"  he  shouted,  panting 
with  excitement  and  his  exertions,  rushing  up  to 
his  mother. 

"Your  dad,  by  a  good  three  feet!"  cried  Mrs. 
Clay  triumphantly. 

"  Hurrah  for  dad ! "  shouted  the  joyous  boy, 
flinging  his  cap  up  into  the  air.  "  I  knew  he  could 
do  it.  I  never  saw  the  man  yet  who  could  beat 
dad.  But,"  he  added  consolingly,  turning  to  Silas, 
"I  never  saw  another  man  come  as  near  beating 
him  as  you  did." 

"Shucks!"  grunted  Silas.  "Th'  fust  heat  was 
jest  tew  limber  up  my  legs.  I'll  turn  on  the  steam 
th'  next  run." 

"  So'll  dad,"  Gideon  replied  confidently. 

The  two  men  and  Gideon  now  returned  to  the 
starting  stake  for  the  second  heat. 

"  Reckon  I'm  going  to  give  you  a  tussle  for  your 
powder  this  time,  Si,"  Big  Tom  said,  as  he  planted 
one  of  his  feet  by  the  side  of  the  stake. 

"  I  shore'll  have  tew  put  in  my  best  licks,"  replied 
Silas,  as  he  placed  his  foot  alongside  of  Big  Tom's 
on  the  other  side  of  the  stake.  "  But,  I  reckon,  I 


46  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

kin  beat  yew  yit.  No  man  ever  beat  me  afore; 
an'  I  don't  kalkerlate  tew  let  yew  do  it  now.  I 
am  ready,  boy,"  and  his  lips  came  together  tightly 
and  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  goal  and  crouched  low. 

"  Ready,  Dad  ? "  and  Gideon  turned  to  his  father, 
his  face  flushing  with  excitement. 

"Yes,  Son,"  Big  Tom  answered,  his  own  eyes 
on  the  goal  and  his  great  body  tense  as  a  hound's 
held  back  by  the  leash. 

Again  Gideon  counted;  and  again,  at  the  word 
"go,"  the  two  men  shot  forward,  with  the  boy 
racing  after  them  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  take 
him;  and  again  they  ran  so  even  that  the  eye  could 
not  tell  who  was  in  the  lead,  until  just  before  the 
goal  was  reached,  when,  somehow,  Silas  seemed  to 
inject  an  extra  quantity  of  speed  into  those  long 
legs  of  his,  and  he  shot  swiftly  ahead  and  touched 
the  finishing  line  a  good  six  feet  in  the  lead. 

There  was  no  need  of  Gideon  asking  who  had 
won  the  heat  this  time.  His  own  eyes  had  told 
him ;  and  it  was  a  very  much  disappointed  boy  that 
hurried  up  to  where  the  two  men  stood  panting  by 
the  side  of  Mrs.  Clay. 

"I  knowed  I  could  dew  it,"  chuckled  Silas  tri- 
umphantly, turning  to  the  chagrined  boy.  "Knowed 
that  these  long  legs  wouldn't  go  back  on  me  atter 
all  these  years.  But  yewr  dad  came  th'  nighest  tew 
beatin'  me  o'  eny  man  I  ever  raced  with  yit.  He 
shore  made  me  put  on  full  steam." 

"But,  you  haven't  won  yet,"  exclaimed  Gideon, 
his  face  lighting  up.  "There's  another  heat  to  be 


The  Race  47 


run ;  and  dad's  'most  sure  to  beat  you  in  that.  He  — 
he  didn't  run  his  best  this  last  time,  did  you,  Dad? " 

"  I  sure  did,  Son,"  disagreed  Big  Tom  frankly. 
"Never  tried  harder  in  my  life  to  beat  any  one. 
But,  I  reckon,  there's  too  much  ginger  in  them  long 
Ie0s  for  me  yet.  Howsomever,  it's  the  next  heat 
that  will  tell ;  and  I'm  going  to  turn  on  every  ounce 
of  steam  I've  got,  if  I  bust  the  boiler.  Come  on," 
and  he  hurried  off  toward  the  starting  stake. 

There  was  no  smile  on  the  face  of  either  man 
as  he  now  took  his  station  by  the  side  of  the 
starting  stake  and  awaited  the  signal.  Each  was 
proud  of  his  physical  prowess;  and  each  had  a 
hard-won  reputation  to  sustain.  All  throughout 
that  Western  country  Silas  Wegg  was  famous  for 
the  speed  with  which  those  long  legs  could  propel 
his  tall  body  over  the  ground.  No  man  yet  had 
ever  beaten  him  in  a  running  race.  To  win  a  race 
from  him,  even  now  when  he  was  sixty-seven  years 
old,  would  leave  the  victor  the  unquestioned  cham- 
pion of  the  Western  frontier.  Big  Tom  Clay  had 
beaten  every  man  he  had  run  with,  except  Silas 
Wegg;  and  now  there  was  a  chance  of  his  beating 
even  him.  He  certainly  would  improve  it  to  the 
very  best  of  his  ability.  Silas  Wegg  had  the  pride 
of  the  never-beaten  man.  He,  too,  would  certainly 
do  his  utmost  to  win  the  race.  Hence  it  was  that 
this  third  heat,  the  crucial  heat,  found  each  of  these 
two  men  so  desperately  determined  to  win  the  heat 
from  the  other. 

"All  ready?"  queried  Gideon,  as  he  stepped  to 


48  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  fore  to  give  them  the  starting  word,  his  young 
form  aquiver  with  the  excitement  of  the  moment. 

"  Ready,"  answered  the  two  men,  crouching  until 
the  fingers  of  their  hands  nearly  touched  the 
ground. 

"Do  your  durndest,  Dad!"  and  Gideon  lifted 
his  hand  to  begin  the  count. 

"  One !    Two ! !    Three ! ! !  —  Go ! ! ! "  he  shouted. 

As  if  shot  forth  by  the  same  spring,  the  two  men 
leaped  forward,  again  with  Gideon  racing  wildly 
after  them  and  shouting  as  he  ran,  "Go  it,  Dad! 
Go  it,  Dad!" 

And  "  dad  "  did  "  go  it ! "  At  the  fifty-yard  point 
he  was  a  good  six  feet  in  the  lead  and  still  gaining. 
Then  again  came  that  wondrous  injection  of  extra 
speed  into  the  long  legs  of  Silas  Wegg;  and  his 
lank  body  seemed  to  shoot  forward  as  if  propelled 
by  an  extra  set  of  invisible  and  powerful  springs. 
In  ten  yards  he  had  made  up  the  half  of  Big  Tom's 
lead;  in  ten  yards  more  the  two  men  were  running 
neck  and  neck ;  and  when  the  goal-line  was  crossed, 
Silas  Wegg  was  at  least  ten  feet  ahead! 

"I  knowed  I  could  do  it!  I  knowed  I  still  had 
my  running  legs  under  me,  soon  as  I  got  'em 
warmed  up ! "  Silas  panted,  as  he  halted  near  Mrs. 
Clay  and  Ruth.  "Purty  good  for  a  sixty-seven- 
year-old  man,"  he  chuckled.  "Th'  old  man  is  tew 
much  fer  yew  yit,  Tom,"  and  still  chuckling  with 
pride  and  satisfaction  he  turned  to  Big  Tom.  "  I'll 
thank  yew  for  them  twenty  loadin's  o'  powder, 
Tom,"  and  the  chuckle  became  a  low  laugh. 


The  Race  49 


"You  shall  have  a  whole  horn  full  of  powder, 
you  old  race  horse,"  and  Big  Tom  clapped  him 
heartily  on  the  back. 

"But  —  but,  I'll  bet  you  dad  can  beat  you 
wrestling,  any  hold,"  Gideon  challenged  eagerly, 
anxious  to  see  his  father  defeat  this  wonderful  old 
man  in  something. 

"  No,  yew  don't,"  and  Silas  winked  and  grinned. 
"I  onct  wrestled  yewr  dad;  an'  he  came  mighty 
nigh  drivin'  me  head  fust  through  th'  earth,  plumb 
down  tew  China ;  an'  I  didn't  make  a  move  for  th' 
next  six  weeks  without  a  groan.  I'll  jest  stick  tew 
my  gifts,  which  is  runnin'  an'  jumpin'  an'  eatin'," 
and  Silas  shook  his  head  emphatically. 

This  frank  admission  by  Silas  of  Big  Tom's 
wrestling  superiority  mollified  Gideon  and  caused 
Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  to  smile  with  pleased  satisfac- 
tion and  put  all  in  good  humor,  even  the  baby,  who 
cooed  and  kicked  with  delight  in  her  nest  of  grass. 

"Well,  seeing  that  the  racing  is  over,  let's  get 
to  work  again,"  Big  Tom  said,  after  the  excitement 
had  somewhat  cooled  down.  "  I'm  specially  anxious 
to  get  the  camp  up  as  soon  as  possible,  so  that  I 
can  get  to  work  in  the  field.  I  want  to  plant  at 
least  enough  corn  and  potatoes  and  wheat  and  oats 
to  keep  us  and  the  stock  until  harvest  time  next 
year.  If  I  don't,  I  reckon  someone  will  be  going 
hungry.  Come  on,"  and  he  led  the  way  back  to  the 
pile  of  poles  and  the  unfinished  half-faced  camp. 

The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  all  helped,  even 
the  baby  by  being  so  good  that  she  needed  no 


50  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

attention;  and  when  night  came,  they  had  one  end 
and  a  part  of  the  side  "poled"  and  "chinked  in" 
and  the  structure  began  to  take  on  some  of  the 
looks  of  a  rude  house. 

"There,  that  will  do  for  today,"  Big  Tom 
declared,  when  it  became  too  dark  to  work  to 
advantage.  "And  I  call  it  a  mighty  good  day's 
work,  too.  If  we  can  do  as  well  tomorrow,  I  reckon 
we  can  come  mighty  nigh  finishing  the  sides  and  the 
roof.  What  do  you  think,  Si?" 

"We  shore  kin,"  answered  Wegg.  "An*  it's 
goin'  tew  make  a  powerful  kumfer table  home,  as 
long  as  th'  warm  weather  lasts.  But  yew  ain't 
kalkerlatin'  on  livin'  in  it  through  th'  winter,  be 
yew  ?  Th'  winters  here  are  cold  enough  tew  freeze 
th'  hair  off  a  b'ar." 

"  No,"  answered  Big  Tom.  "  I  count  on  having 
a  log  house  up  afore  then.  But  I  see  Martha  has 
supper  ready.  Supposing  we  eat." 

"  That  hits  me  right.  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar," 
and  Silas  started  for  the  supper  table. 

That  was  a  wonderful  night  for  Gideon  and 
Ruth;  for  after  the  supper  was  eaten  and  the  few 
chores  done,  Big  Tom  and  Silas  lighted  their  pipes 
and  sat  down  near  the  camp  fire  and  Silas  told  tales 
of  his  adventurous  life.  He  had  been  a  scout  in 
the  army  of  Mad  Anthony  Wayne  when  he 
conquered  the  brave  Miami  chief,  Little  Turtle,  at 
the  battle  of  Fallen  Timbers,  in  1794;  and  he  was 
with  General  Harrison  in  the  fight  at  Tippecanoe 
and,  later,  at  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  where  the 


The  Race  51 


famous  Indian  chief,  Tecumseh,  was  killed.  He 
had  served  all  through  the  War  of  1812  as  a  scout 
on  the  Indian  frontier;  and  his  earlier  boyhood 
days  had  been  passed  in  the  midst  of  the  exciting 
times  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  had  seen  and 
spoken  to  Washington  and  Lafayette  and  to  other 
Revolutionary  heroes;  and  when  the  war  was 
over,  he  had  turned  to  trapping  and  hunting  and 
had  wandered  all  over  the  Western  wilderness; 
and  had  had  innumerable  hairbreadth  escapes  from 
Indians  and  wild  beasts,  from  floods  and  storms 
and  fires  and  the  other  perils  of  war  and  the 
wilderness.  Consequently  he  had  an  inexhaustible 
fund  of  thrilling  experiences  from  which  to  draw; 
and,  in  addition,  he  was  a  natural  story-teller, 
bringing  out  the  dramatic  points  of  the  tale  like  a 
skilled  novelist  and  picturing  the  scenes  so  vividly 
and  so  forcibly  that  each  stood  out  from  the  body 
of  the  narrative  like  the  rudely  engraved  relief  of 
a  cameo.  Then  there  is  no  other  place  in  the  world 
quite  as  appropriate  for  the  telling  of  such  tales 
as  he  told  as  a  lonely  camp  fire,  in  the  midst  of  a 
wilderness,  with  the  dark  mysteries  of  night  around 
and  above  you. 

No  wonder  Gideon  and  Ruth  sat  like  two  children 
in  a  trance,  hardly  venturing  to  move  while  Silas 
was  telling  his  tales,  and  that  Mr.  and  Mrs,  Clay 
were  almost  as  absorbed  as  they  were  in  the  stories 
and  their  teller.  Not  one  of  them  thought  of  the 
passing  time,  of  how  late  it  was  getting,  until,  at 
the  close  of  one  of  his  most  thrilling  narratives, 


52  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Silas  abruptly  stopped,  knocked  the  ashes  out  of 
his  pipe  and  arose  to  his  feet. 

"It  is  my  sleeptime,"  he  said.  "Good  night," 
and,  picking  up  a  blanket  to  cover  him,  he  lay  down 
near  the  camp  fire,  without  another  word,  except 
a  brief  refusal  to  share  the  family's  rude  shelter, 
declaring  it  too  close  and  stuffy  for  him. 

"  I  could  have  sat  and  listened  to  him  all  night," 
Gideon  sighed,  as  he  rolled  himself  up  in  his  blanket 
by  the  side  of  his  father.  "I  wonder  if  anything 
like  that  will  ever  happen  to  me ! " 

"  Let  us  hope  not,"  Big  Tom  answered  fervently. 
"  War  and  bloodshed,  and  scalping,  torturing  Indians 
are  mighty  interesting  in  stories,  but  are  dreadful 
realities  that  no  sensible  human  wants  anything  to 
do  with.  Now,  shut  up  and  get  to  sleep  just  as 
soon  as  you  can.  We  must  be  up  with  the  sun  in 
the  morning,"  and  he  rolled  over  and  pulled  the 
blanket  up  close  around  his  neck  and  was  soon 
sound  asleep. 

Gideon  was  very  tired,  so  tired  that,  in  spite  of 
his  aroused  imagination,  it  was  not  many  minutes 
after  his  father's  snores  had  announced  his  slum- 
bers that  his  eyes  grew  heavy  and  closed  in  sleep. 


CHAPTER  VI 

BAD  NEWS 

'TpHE  next  morning,  when  Big  Tom  thrust  his 
-*•  head  out  of  the  rude  shelter  where  the  family 
slept,  he  saw  Silas  Wegg  sitting  on  an  old  box 
before  the  camp  fire  meditatively  smoking. 

"A  coonskin  for  your  thoughts,"  he  greeted, 
as  he  hurried  over  to  where  Wegg  sat. 

"They're  wurth  more'n  a  coonskin,"  Silas 
retorted.  "But  I've  been  a-waitin'  tew  give  'em 
tew  yew  for  nothin'.  Be  th'  missus  an'  th'  yunks 
still  sound  asleep?"  and  he  lowered  his  voice  and 
glanced  in  the  direction  of  the  rude  hut  that 
sheltered  Mrs.  Clay  and  the  children. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Big  Tom,  a  shade  of  anxiety  in 
his  voice.  "  What  is  it,  Si  ?  " 

"Come  over  yonder  by  th'  wagin,  whar  our 
voices'll  be  out  o'  reach  o'  their  ears,"  and  Silas 
rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  knocking  the  ashes  out  of 
his  pipe  as  he  did  so  and  stowing  it  away  in  his 
pocket.  "I've  got  somethin'  I  want  tew  tell  yew 
that,  I  reckon,  it's  better  tew  keep  from  th'  wimen 
an'  th'  yunks  jest  at  presint,"  and  he  walked  over  to 
the  wagon.  "I'd  have  told  yew  fust  thing  yister- 
day,"  he  began,  when  seated  on  the  wagon-tongue, 
"atter  I  found  out  yew  was  a-kalkerlatin'  on  a- 
settlin'  down  here,  if  'twon't  for  th'  wimen  an'  th' 

53 


54  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

yunks  heerin'.  Reckon  thar's  no  call  tew  scare  'em 
jest  yit." 

"Now,  what  are  you  driving  at,  Si?"  Big  Tom 
spoke  impatiently  and  his  face  whitened.  There 
were  so  many  dangers  that  might  threaten  in  this 
new  unknown  country ;  and  Silas  Wegg  was  not  the 
kind  of  a  man  to  alarm  one  lightly.  "  Out  with  it. 
There  is  no  need  of  your  beating  about  the  bush 
with  me,  Si." 

"I  ain't  beatin'  'bout  no  bush,"  Silas  answered, 
"but  jest  gittin'  ready  tew  enter  it  th'  right  way. 
Yew've  heered  tell  o'  Black  Hawk,  chief  o'  th' 
Sacs  an'  Foxes?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Big  Tom  shortly.  "  'Tain't  no 
Indian  devilment,  I  hope?" 

"Not  right  now,  but  it  is  a-comin'  sartin,  an* 
it's  bound  tew  come  afore  long.  Th'  Government 
claims  that  th'  Injun  chiefs  have  sold  out  all  th' 
rights  o'  th'  tribes  tew  th'  land  in  th'  Rock  River 
Valley  an'  agreed  tew  move  across  th'  Mississippi. 
Black  Hawk  says  it  is  all  a  lie,  that  no  sech  treaty 
was  ever  signed  by  eny  chiefs  who  had  a  right  tew 
sign  it,  that  it's  jest  a  dirty  trick  o'  th'  whites  tew 
git  th'  land  away  from  th'  Injuns;  an'  he's  madder'n 
a  b'ar  with  a  sore  ear;  an'  is  a-talkin'  'bout  resistin' 
an'  a-boastin'  o'  what  he'll  dew  if  th'  whites  try 
tew  drive  him  an'  his  warriors  from  th'  land  o' 
their  fathers,  specially  from  his  village  at  th'  mouth 
o'  th'  Rock  River,  whar  he's  lived  for  so  many 
years  an'  whar  th'  bones  o'  his  ancesters  are  buried. 
An',  jest  tew  aggrevate  things,  last  winter,  when 


Bad  News  55 


th'  Injuns  o'  th'  village  was  off  on  their  annual 
hunt,  a  lot  o'  whites  moved  right  in  an'  took  pos- 
session o'  sech  o'  th'  Injuns'  houses  as  they  wanted 
for  their  own  use  an'  tore  down  most  o'  th'  others 
an'  even  started  tew  raisin'  craps  on  th'  Injuns' 
graveyard.  An'  when  Black  Hawk  an'  his  Injuns 
got  back  this  spring,  thar  was  mighty  nigh  a 
massaker  right  then  an'  thar.  Howsomever,  they 
somehow  patched  up  some  sort  o'  a  peace;  but 
Black  Hawk  an'  his  warriors  are  feelin'  ug'ler  'n 
mad  bulls;  an'  somethin's  li'bel  tew  happen  eny 
minit  tew  send  'em  ragin'  on  th'  war-path.  An' 
then,  God  pity  yew  lone  white  settlers!  I  thought 
yew  otter  know  'bout  this,  Tom,  afore  yew  settled 
down  here  for  good,  seem'  yew've  got  yewr  wimen 
an'  th'  yunks  with  yew,"  and  Silas  looked  up  solici- 
tously into  Big  Tom's  face. 

"I  ought  to  have  knowed  about  it  afore  I  left 
Ohio,"  Big  Tom  answered,  his  face  showing  the 
anxiety  and  dreadful  apprehensions  the  news  of 
Silas  had  caused  him.  "Then  I'd  knowed  enough 
to  have  left  the  wife  and  the  children  where  they'd 
be  safe.  But,  as  dad  used  to  say,  there  is  no  use 
crying  for  cream  after  the  milk  is  spilt.  They  are 
here  now;  and  I  reckon  the  good  Lord  and  our 
rifles  will  have  to  protect  them,"  and  his  face 
hardened.  "  Besides,  Martha  wouldn't  go  back 
now,  nohow,  not  unless  the  Indians  were  actually 
on  the  war-path.  She's  grit,  clean  through,"  and 
his  face  lighted  up  with  pride.  "  It  will  take  more'n 
threats  to  scare  her,  and,  if  I  understand  you,  there 


56  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

has  been  nothing  but  Indian  threats  so  far;  and 
threatened  men  sometimes  live  long  lives." 

"But  I  know  Black  Hawk,'*  Silas  answered 
earnestly;  "an*  he  ain't  th'  kind  of  an  Injun  tew 
fergit  or  fergive  sech  treatment.  He  ain't  no 
vain  boaster  neither.  He's  been  a  fighter  ever  since 
he  was  sixteen  years  old,  when  he  won  a  warrior's 
rights  by  killin'  his  man.  He's  'bout  sixty  now; 
an'  as  strong  an'  as  tough  as  a  hickory  knot.  He's 
liked  by  all  th'  young  bucks;  an'  most  all  on  'em 
is  a-sidin'  in  with  him  an'  jest  waitin'  for  him  tew 
give  th'  word  tew  dig  up  th'  war  ax.  I  ain't  no 
prophet,  but  it  don't  take  no  prophet  tew  tell  that 
thar's  bound  tew  be  bloodshed  atween  Black  Hawk 
an'  th'  whites,  Black  Hawk  bein'  th'  Injun  that  he 
is,  an'  th'  whites  bein'  atter  his  land  an'  determined 
tew  git  it  by  fair  means  or  foul ;  an'  it's  bound  tew 
come  afore  long;  an'  when  it  comes,  what  kin  yew, 
with  yer  two  rifles,  dew  ag'in'  a  hundred  murderin' 
savages  ?  " 

"  There'll  be  three  rifles  then,  Si,"  Big  Tom  said 
quietly.  "You  don't  know  Martha.  She  has  her 
own  rifle  and  can  shoot  'most  as  good  as  I  can. 
She  was  in  an  Indian  fight,  back  in  Ohio,  afore  I 
married  her;  and  she  has  killed  her  Indian,  killed 
him  to  save  her  younger  sister;  and  now  she  will 
be  fighting  for  her  own  children!  No,  you  don't 
know  Martha,  Si,  if  you  are  counting  on  only  two 
rifles  if  the  Indians  attack  us.  Besides,  as  I  said 
afore,  it's  all  talk  yet ;  and  it  will  take  a  sight  more'n 
talk  to  scare  Martha.  She  wouldn't  go  back  now, 


Bad  News  57 


nohow,  outside  of  being  driven  out  by  the  Indians. 
But,  there  she  is." 

As  Big  Tom  spoke,  Mrs.  Clay  lifted  the  deerskin 
that  hung  in  front  of  the  entrance  to  the  rude 
shelter,  and  stepped  out. 

"We'll  leave  it  to  her.  I'll  do  just  as  she  says. 
Hi,  Martha,"  Big  Tom  called.  "  Come  here." 

Mrs.  Clay  looked  quickly  in  the  direction  of  the 
two  men  and  then  hurried  toward  them. 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked  anxiously,  the  moment 
she  reached  their  sides,  for  the  looks  on  their 
faces  warned  her  of  trouble.  "Something  gone 
wrong?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  her  husband.  "  Si  brings  bad 
news,  the  worst  kind  of  news.  He  says  there  is 
liable  to  be  an  Indian  outbreak  at  any  time;  that 
one  is  sure  to  come  afore  long  and  that,  when  it 
does  come,  we'll  be  in  very  great  danger;  and  that, 
consequently,  the  Rock  River  Valley  at  present  is 
not  a  safe  place  for  women  and  children.  I  reckon, 
he  thinks  if  we  showed  sense,  we'd  pack  up  and 
yoke  up  and  take  the  back  trail  out  of  here  at  once. 
And  Si,  Martha,  ain't  given  to  warning  afore  there's 
need.  We  must  remember  the  children,  as  well 
as  ourselves,  Martha,"  and  Big  Tom's  eyes  turned 
solicitously  to  the  face  of  his  wife. 

Mrs.  Clay's  face  had  whitened  at  the  first  mention 
of  Indians.  She  knew  what  horrors  an  Indian 
outbreak  meant;  and  for  a  moment  she  stood 
silent,  while  her  eyes  studied  apprehensively  the 
faces  of  the  two  men,  then  she  turned  and  slowly 


58  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

surveyed  the  surrounding  beautiful  scene  of  peace- 
ful prairie  and  quiet  woods,  with  their  camp,  already 
beginning  to  look  homelike  to  her  eyes,  in  the 
midst. 

'  'Twould  be  powerful  hard  to  leave  here  now," 
she  said,  again  turning  to  the  men,  "just  as  we 
are  getting  started  in  our  new  home  and  things 
are  beginning  to  look  homelike.  After  all,"  and 
her  face  lighted,  "  it's  only  an  Indian  scare;  and  I've 
lived  unhurt  through  many  an  Indian  scare.  There 
has  been  no  bloodshed  yet?"  and  she  turned  her 
anxious  eyes  inquiringly  to  Silas.  "Just  talk  and 
rumors  of  an  outbreak?" 

"That's  all  yit;  but  it's  sartin  tew  come,  unless 
my  jedgment  has  gone  askew  'bout  ten  thousand 
miles,"  answered  Silas. 

"Well,  then,"  and  Mrs.  Clay's  face  hardened, 
"I  reckon  'twould  be  foolish  for  us  to  give  up  all 
this,  just  on  account  of  rumors.  We've  come  here 
to  build  a  home  for  us  and  the  children;  and  we're 
going  to  stay  and  build  it,  Indians  or  no  Indians. 
It's  a  woman's  duty,  just  as  much  as  it  is  a  man's, 
to  take  risks  and  brave  dangers ;  and  I'm  not  going 
to  back  out,  when  I  know  Tom  would  not  think  of 
quitting  if  it  wasn't  for  me  and  the  children." 

"What'd  I  tell  you,  Si?"  and  Big  Tom  turned 
a  bit  triumphantly  to  Silas.  "You  see,  'twill  take 
more'n  Indian  talk  to  scare  Martha." 

"Yew  shore  have  th'  right  pluck,"  and  the  look 
in  Silas's  eyes  showed  how  fully  he  appreciated 
the  courage  and  determination  of  Mrs.  Clay.  "  But 


Bad  News  59 


it's  goin'  tew  be  powerful  risky  stay  in' ;  an',  I  reckon, 
if  yer  bound  tew  stay,  yew'd  better  put  up  a  good 
strong  bullet  an'  arrer  proof  log  house,  jest  as  soon 
as  yew  kin,  an'  not  put  it  off  'til  fall." 

"  Right,"  answered  Big  Tom.  "  But  I've  got  to 
get  the  crops  in  first.  Might  just  as  well  be  scalped 
as  starved.  We'll  get  to  work  on  the  log  house 
just  as  soon  as  the  crops  are  in  the  ground.  That 
is,"  and  the  look  of  solicitude  deepened  on  his  face 
as  he  turned  to  Martha,  "  if  you  are  sure  it  is  best 
for  us  to  stay.  'Twill  be  powerful  risky,  as  Si  says ; 
and  we  must  think  of  the  children,  of  Ruth  and 
Gid  and  the  baby,  as  well  as  ourselves.  I  reckon 
we  could  make  our  home  with  your  folks  back  in 
Ohio  until  the  Indian  trouble  is  settled." 

"And  leave  all  this,"  and  again  the  eyes  of  Mrs. 
Clay  glanced  around  the  beautiful,  peaceful  sur- 
rounding scene,  "scart  out  by  talk  of  an  Indian 
outbreak !  And  make  that  long  wearisome  journey 
back  again  to  Ohio!  No;  of  the  two  evils,  I'll 
take  my  chances  with  the  Indians.  Besides, 
'twouldn't  show  much  pluck  for  us  to  back  out  now 
and  go  sneaking  back  to  Ohio.  That's  not  the 
kind  of  grit  that  runs  in  our  families,  Tom.  We've 
got  to  take  our  chances  with  the  rest  of  the  pioneers, 
and  make  the  best  of  whatever  comes.  You  don't 
really  want  to  go  back  to  Ohio,  do  you,  Tom?" 
and  her  eyes  looked  searchingly  into  her  husband's 
face. 

"  No,  I  don't,"  Big  Tom  answered  frankly.  "  But 
I'd  feel  a  powerful  lot  more  comfortable  if  I 


60  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

knowed  you  and  the  children  were  where  you'd  be 
safe  in  case  anything  should  happen." 

"Then  we'll  stay,"  Mrs.  Clay  spoke  decisively. 
A  wife's  place  is  with  her  husband  and  children 
and  the  children's  place  is  with  their  father  and 
mother;  and  if  we've  got  to  fight  Indians  we'll  fight 
them  for  our  home  and  our  children." 

"Shake!"  and  Silas  Wegg  jumped  up  and 
reached  out  and  seized  the  hand  of  Mrs.  Clay  and 
shook  it  warmly.  "Yew're  as  good  as  eny  man 
I  ever  knowed;  an'  if  it  comes  tew  a  tussle  at  ween 
yew  an'  Black  Hawk,  I'll  bet  on  yew  every  time. 
Tom  sartin  showed  sense  when  he  married  yew." 

"I  surely  did,"  agreed  Big  Tom  heartily. 

Mrs.  Clay  blushed  like  a  young  girl,  and  then, 
catching  sight  of  Gideon  and  Ruth  hurrying  toward 
them  from  the  door  of  the  little  hut,  she  turned 
quickly  to  the  two  men. 

"Hush!"  she  warned.  "Not  a  word  of  this 
where  the  children  can  hear.  Now  I  must  get  to 
work  at  the  breakfast,"  and  she  hastened  back  to 
the  camp  fire,  taking  Ruth  with  her. 

After  breakfast  the  work  on  the  half- faced  camp 
was  resumed  by  all  hands;  and  when  the  darkness 
of  night  again  settled  down  on  the  prairie,  so 
swiftly  and  faithfully  had  all  worked,  that  it  found 
the  roof  and  the  sides  of  the  enclosure  completed. 

"We'll  get  things  straightened  out  inside  and 
move  in  tomorrow,"  Big  Tom  declared  with  satis- 
faction, when  the  last  slab  of  wood  and  piece  of 
bark  had  been  firmly  fastened  in  its  place  on  the 


Bad  News  61 


roof  and  the  work  for  the  day  was  over;  "and 
another  day  will  see  the  furniture  ready;  and  then 
I  can  start  right  in  plowing.  Si,  you've  been  a 
godsend!" 

" Shucks,  Tom!  If  yewr  stumick  had  been 
a-hankerin'  for  wimen's  cookin'  in  vain  as  long 
as  mine  has,  yew'd  think  it  more'n  a  godsend  tew 
stumble  on  sech  a  wimen  cook  as  I  have.  When 
I  fills  up  on  her  cookin',"  and  he  nodded  toward  the 
smiling  Mrs.  Clay,  "I'm  powerful  glad  tew  git  a 
chance  tew  work,  so  I  kin  work  up  a  big  appetite, 
so  I  kin  fill  up  ag'in.  I've  been  thinkin'  o'  offerin' 
tew  work  for  yew  for  th'  next  week  free  gratis, 
if  th'  missus  will  promise  tew  keep  my  stumick 
filled;  an'  I'd  shore  git  th'  best  o'  th'  bargain  at 
that,"  and  he  winked  an  eye  at  Mrs.  Clay. 

"Done,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "I'll  engage  you 
for  a  month  on  them  terms  and  guarantee  to  fill 
your  stomach  plumb  to  the  top  three  times  a  day." 

"  Reckon  a  week'll  be  'bout  my  limit  this  time," 
grinned  back  Silas.  "  But  I'd  shore  like  tew  make 
it  a  month;  an'  I  would,  if  'twon't  that  I  promised 
Old  Man  Kellogg  tew  go  with  him  on  a  b'ar  hunt 
down  tew  th'  Big  Swamp  next  week  atter  Old 
Whitenose,  a  monstrous  big  b'ar  with  a  white  nose 
that's  been  defy  in'  us  for  th'  last  tew  years.  Want 
tew  go  'long?" 

"O,  do,  Dad;  and  let  me  go  with  you!"  and 
Gideon,  who  was  sitting  near  the  two  men,  jumped 
excitedly  to  his  feet. 

"  I  sure  would  like  to  go,"  and  Big  Tom  glanced 


62  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

questioningly  toward  his  wife.  "How  long  will 
you  be  gone,  Si  ?  " 

"  Not  more'n  three  or  four  days ;  an'  th'  b'ar  is  a 
monster,  th'  biggest  ever  seen  in  these  parts/' 
answered  Silas. 

"I've  a  notion  to  — "  began  Big  Tom,  and 
stopped  abruptly.  He  had  suddenly  remembered 
the  threatened  Indian  outbreak;  that  it  would  not 
be  safe  to  leave  his  wrife  and  children  alone.  At 
the  same  moment  the  face  of  Silas  showed  that 
he,  too,  remembered.  For  an  instant  the  two  men 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes ;  then  Big  Tom  spoke. 

"  I  sure  would  like  to  go,  Si,"  he  said  regretfully ; 
"and  I  would,  if  'twon't  for  leaving  Martha  and 
the  children  here  alone.  No  telling  what  might 
happen  while  I  was  away.  Besides,  I  have  no  time 
to  spare.  I  must  get  the  crops  in  the  ground  and 
the  log  house  up  just  as  soon  as  the  good  Lord 
will  let  me." 

"Reckon  yew're  right,"  agreed  Silas.  "If  I'd 
thought  o'  th'  wimen  an'  th'  yunks,  I'd  knowed 
better  than  tew  have  asked  yew.  O'  course  they 
kin't  be  left  with  no  men  folks  tew  look  atter  'em. 
But,"  and  Silas  hesitated  and  glanced  doubtfully 
toward  Mrs.  Clay,  "perhaps  yew  kin  spare  Gid  fer 
three  or  four  days?  I'd  like  tew  show  him  how 
we  hunt  b'ar  in  Illinoia." 

"O,  can  I,  Dad?  Can  I  go?"  Gideon  was  now 
jumping  up  and  down  with  excitement.  "  I'd  like 
nothing  better  in  the  world  than  to  go  bear  hunting 
with  Silas.  I  can  go,  can't  I,  Dad?" 


Bad  News  63 


"I'll  keep  an  eye  on  him  all  th'  time,"  promised 
Silas.  "  'Twould  dew  th'  youngster  good ;  an'  he'll 
be  as  safe  as  he  would  with  his  own  dad." 

"'Tain't  that,  Si,"  and  Big  Tom  hesitated.  "I 
know  he  would  be  just  as  safe  with  you  as  he  would 
with  me;  but,"  and  he  glanced  doubtfully  toward 
his  wife,  "  if  anything  should  happen  while  he  was 
away  —  " 

"He  couldn't  stop  it  happenin',"  broke  in  Silas. 
"  Besides,  nuthin'  is  li'bel  tew  happen  th'  few  days 
he'd  be  gone.  Black  Hawk's  gone  north  tew  visit 
th'  Winnerberger  Injuns  an'  won't  be  back  for  a 
couple  o'  weeks  or  more." 

"Black  Hawk?"  and  Gideon  turned  quickly  to 
Silas.  "Do  you  mean  Black  Hawk,  the  Indian 
chief,  who  fought  with  the  British  against  the 
United  States  in  the  War  of  1812?  I've  heard  a 
lot  about  him.  Does  he  live  near  here?  I'd  like 
to  see  him." 

"That's  th'  identickle  red  repteel,"  answered 
Silas.  "Th'  Hawk's  allers  been  ag'in  th'  United 
States;  an'  allers  friendly  with  th'  Britishers.  His 
village  is  down  at  th'  mouth  o'  th'  Rock  River. 
But  we're  wanderin'  from  our  subjict.  Want  tew 
go  on  that  b'ar  hunt,  Gid?  Yew'll  have  tew  bunk 
on  th'  ground  an'  eat  rough  food." 

"Pshaw,  that's  nothing!"  and  Gideon's  face 
showed  how  little  the  thought  of  such  hardships 
troubled  him.  "  I've  slept  on  the  ground  hundreds 
of  times;  and  I  once  ate  dad's  cooking  for  a  week." 

"  Reckon    yew    kin    stand    our    cookin'    then," 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 


grinned  Silas.  "Kin  he  go?"  and  he  turned  to 
Big  Tom.  "  I  shore  would  like  tew  have  him  'long ; 
an*  I'll  work  for  yew  for  a  week,  atter  we  git  back, 
tew  make  up  fer  his  time  an',"  he  added,  with  a 
quick  grin,  "  for  a  chance  tew  fill  up  ag'in  on 
wimen's  cookin'." 

"What  do  you  say,  Mother?"  and  Big  Tom 
turned  to  Mrs.  Clay.  "  He'll  be  as  safe  with  Si  as 
he  would  be  with  me." 

For  a  minute  Mrs.  Clay  hesitated.  So  many 
things  might  happen  to  her  boy  while  he  was  away. 
But  she  was  of  sturdy  pioneer  stock,  accustomed 
to  seeing  her  dearest  brave  dangers  and  endure 
hardships,  with  the  fortitude  almost  of  a  Spartan 
mother. 

"If  you  and  Si  think  it  is  all  right  for  Gideon  to 
go,  I  reckon  it  is,"  she  said  quietly.  "Do  just  as 
you  think  best,  Tom." 

" Bully  for  you,  Mother! "  cried  Gideon  joyously. 
"  Now,  Dad,  it  is  all  in  your  hands,"  and  he  turned 
expectantly  to  his  father.  "  I  can  go,  can't  I  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Son,"  answered  Big  Tom,  after  a  moment's 
hesitation.  "But—" 

"  Hurrah ! "  yelled  Gideon,  not  even  knowing,  in 
his  excitement,  that  he  had  interrupted  his  father, 
who  laughed  and  saved  his  words  of  caution  for 
another  time.  "When  are  we  going?"  and  the 
happy  boy  whirled  about  and  turned  to  Silas. 

"Next  week,  Thursday,  bright  an*  early," 
answered  Silas.  "  Be  shore  yew  have  yewr  rifle  in 
good  shootin'  trim  an*  yewr  huntin'  knife  razor- 


Bad  News  65 


sharp.  Old  Whitenose  is  king  b'ar  o'  these  regions 
an'  he'll  die  like  a  king." 

"I  sure  will,"  answered  Gideon  soberly.  "I 
wish  it  was  next  week  Thursday  tomorrow ! " 

That  night  Gideon  went  to  bed  to  dream  of 
hunting  white-nosed  bears  as  large  as  elephants. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  BOBCAT 

"DIG  TOM  proved  a  true  prophet,  for  the  next 
•*-*  day  found  the  half-faced  camp  ready  outside 
and  inside  for  occupancy;  and  that  night  the  Clay 
family  moved  into  its,  to  them,  comfortable  quar- 
ters. True,  the  floor  was  nothing  but  the  ground, 
smoothed  and  pounded  down  hard;  and  the  walls 
and  the  ceiling  were  nothing  but  the  bare  poles  of 
the  sides  and  the  rudely  covered  roof ;  and  there  was 
but  one  door  and  window,  and  that  was  the  unpoled 
open  side,  protected  only  by  hanging  skins  and 
blankets;  and  yet  in  two  hours  the  woman  art  of 
Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  had  given  this  rude  place  a 
homy  look. 

There  was  no  furniture,  save  the  little  they  had 
brought  with  them  in  the  wagons  —  a  couple  of 
easy  chairs,  one  of  them  a  rocker  for  Mrs.  Clay;  a 
home-made  cradle  for  the  baby,  a  large  bureau,  a 
couple  of  trunks,  a  spinning-wheel  and  the  needed 
kettles,  pans,  etc.,  for  the  cooking.  Tables,  chairs, 
bedsteads,  cupboards,  and  the  other  familiar  house- 
hold furnishings  would  all  have  to  await  their 
making  at  the  rudely  skilled  hands  of  Mr.  Clay; 
the  most  necessary  articles  at  once,  the  others  as 
time  and  leisure  permitted. 

"We'll  make  a  table  and  the  bunks  and  a  few 
66 


The  Bobcat  67 


long-legged  stools  for  chairs  tomorrow;  and  the 
other  things  can  wait  awhile,"  Big  Tom  said,  as 
all  gathered  in  their  newly  completed  home,  after 
the  day's  work  was  over,  and  were  admiring  it  by 
the  light  of  a  number  of  homemade  tallow  candles. 
"Now,  what  would  you  like  done  most  afore  we 
get  to  bed,  Martha?"  and  he  turned  inquiringly 
to  his  wife. 

"Well,  if  you  ain't  too  tuckered,"  Mrs.  Clay 
answered,  smiling,  "I'd  like  some  hanging  pegs 
to  hang  our  clothes  and  other  things  on." 

"  That's  easy,"  and  Big  Tom  picked  up  an  auger 
from  one  of  the  trunks.  "Whittle  some  pegs,  Si, 
while  I  bore  the  holes.  Now,  Gid,  if  you'll  hold 
one  of  the  candles  so  I  can  see,  I'll  get  busy,"  and 
Mr.  Clay,  while  Gideon  held  the  candle  to  give 
him  light,  and  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  told  him  where 
they  wanted  the  hanging  pegs,  began  boring  holes 
into  the  poles  that  formed  the  sides  of  the  enclo- 
sure. When  the  holes  were  ready,  the  pegs  whittled 
out  by  Silas  were  driven  into  them,  leaving  several 
inches  of  each  peg  projecting  into  the  room  —  and 
the  hanging  pegs  were  ready ! 

"There,"  Big  Tom  declared,  when  the  last  peg 
was  driven  into  its  hole,  "  I'm  too  all-fired  tired 
to  do  another  stroke  of  work  tonight.  I'm  going 
to  bed,"  and  he  threw  himself  down  on  the  rude 
bed  of  skins  and  blankets  that  had  been  made  for 
the  men  on  the  ground  in  one  end  of  the  camp. 

Gideon  and  Silas  at  once  followed  his  example; 
but,  womanlike,  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  busied  them- 


68  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

selves  about  the  house  for  an  hour  longer  before 
they  lay  down  on  their  bed,  made  in  the  opposite 
end  of  the  one  room.  And  there  was  not  a  house 
in  the  United  States,  however  comfortable  and 
luxurious,  where  its  inmates  enjoyed  more  restful 
and  peaceful  slumbers  than  did  our  friends  in  their 
rude  pioneer  shelter. 

Early  the  next  morning  Mr.  Clay  and  Gideon 
yoked  the  oxen  to  one  of  the  wagons,  and,  accom- 
panied by  Silas,  drove  to  the  woods  to  secure  the 
timber  needed  in  making  the  table  and  the  chairs 
and  the  other  household  furniture. 

"Well  tackle  the  tree  for  the  table  first,"  Big 
Tom  said,  when  they  had  reached  the  woods.  "  Let 
me  see,"  and  he  looked  around.  "I  reckon  that 
one  there  will  about  fill  the  bill,"  and  he  pointed 
to  a  large  tree,  some  three  feet  in  diameter,  with 
a  straight  round  trunk  undisfigured  by  knots  or 
limbs  for  fifteen  feet  above  the  ground.  "Bet  I 
can  cut  through  my  half  of  the  tree  first,  Si,"  and 
seizing  an  ax  from  the  wagon,  he  started  for  the 
tree. 

"Choppin'  ain't  one  o'  my  gifts,  like  racin'  an' 
eatin',  but  I'll  give  yew  a  tussle  jest  tew  make  yew 
earn  that  brag,"  and  Silas  caught  up  another  ax 
out  of  the  wagon  and  hurried  after  Big  Tom. 

"Get  an  ax  and  cut  down  a  number  of  small 
straight  trees,  about  four  inches  thick,"  Big  Tom 
called  to  Gideon,  as  he  halted  by  the  side  of  the 
big  tree.  "We'll  need  them  for  bunks  and  for 
legs  of  the  table.  Ready,  Si?"  and  he  turned  to 


The  Bobcat  69 


Silas,  who  had  stationed  himself  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  tree. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Silas,  and  swung  his  ax  aloft. 

"Let  her  go,  then,"  and  the  ax  of  Big  Tom  bit 
deep  into  the  rough  trunk  of  the  tree. 

For  half  an  hour  the  two  men  swung  their  axes 
steadily,  then  both  paused.  They  had  nearly  cut 
the  tree  in  two. 

"  I  knowed  I  could  beat  you  chopping,"  laughed 
Big  Tom,  as  his  eyes  scrutinized  the  two  great 
triangular  gashes  made  in  the  tree  on  opposite  sides 
by  their  sharp  axes.  "I  reckon  my  cut  is  a  good 
three  inches  deeper  than  yours." 

"So  it  is,"  admitted  Silas;  "but  I'll  run  yew 
anuther  race,  if  yew  want  tew,"  and  he  grinned. 

"No,  you  won't,"  laughed  back  Big  Tom. 
"We're  tree-chopping  now,  not  racing.  Reckon 
'twon't  take  a  dozen  cuts  more  to  bring  her  down. 
Hi,  there ! "  he  called  to  Gideon,  who  was  chopping 
a  dozen  yards  away,  "  look  out ! " 

"  All  right,  Dad ! "  Gideon  instantly  stopped  work 
and  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  tree.  It  would  be  a  sight 
worth  seeing  to  see  that  great  mass  of  trunk  and 
limbs  and  branches  go  crashing  to  the  ground. 

"I'll  give  the  death-blows,"  Big  Tom  said  and 
swung  his  ax  above  his  head. 

Once  —  twice  —  three  times  —  six  times  —  eight 
times  the  ax  bit  deep  into  the  wood.  At  the  ninth 
blow  the  great  tree  shivered.  Gideon,  from  where 
he  stood,  could  hear  the  rustling  of  the  leaves. 

"  She's  a-going,  Dad ! "  he  yelled  excitedly. 


70  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

At  the  tenth  blow  a  stronger  shudder  ran  up  the 
huge  trunk  and  the  great  mass  of  limbs  and  branches 
above  swayed;  then,  with  a  groan  as  of  mortal 
agony,  the  small  portion  o'f  wood  still  sustaining 
the  huge  bulk  snapped,  and  the  great  tree,  with  a 
majestic  downward  sweep  of  its  mighty  limbs,  fell 
earthward,  at  first  moving  with  stately  slowness, 
but  swiftly  gathering  speed  as  it  fell,  until  it  crashed 
to  the  earth  with  a  shock  that  shattered  great  limbs 
and  broke  down  small  trees  standing  in  its  way. 

"  Hurrah ! "  yelled  Gideon,  running  toward  the 
fallen  monarch,  ax  in  hand,  to  begin  clearing  away 
the  tangle  of  broken  limbs  and  branches. 

"Hi,  thar!  Look  out!  Bobcat!"  shouted  Silas 
warningly,  jumping  for  his  rifle  that  stood  leaning 
against  the  trunk  of  a  nearby  tree. 

Gideon  saw  the  bobcat,  or  lynx,  almost  at  the 
instant  of  Silas's  shout.  It  had  been  crouching  out 
of  sight  on  a  limb  of  the  great  tree,  and  when  the 
tree  fell  it  had,  of  course,  fallen  with  it.  Now, 
although  not  much  hurt,  it  was  badly  frightened  and 
a  thoroughly  enraged  animal  that  sprang,  spitting 
catlike  with  anger,  out  of  the  tangled  branches  of 
the  fallen  tree  and  landed  on  the  ground  not  a 
dozen  feet  directly  in  front  of  the  running  boy. 
The  bobcat's  back  was  arched  and  its  hair  stood 
out  straight  from  its  body,  making  it  look  nearly 
twice  as  large  as  it  really  was  to  the  startled  lad. 

Gideon  tried  to  stop  —  what  boy  would  not  under 
the  circumstances?  —  but  so  great  was  his  momen- 
tum that  he  was  almost  on  top  of  the  bobcat  before 


The  Bobcat  71 


he  or  the  cat  could  do  a  thing  to  avoid  the  meeting. 
Instinctively,  at  first  sight  of  the  bobcat,  he  had 
swung  up  his  ax,  his  only  weapon;  and  now  he 
struck,  with  all  his  young  strength,  directly  down  at 
the  spitting  brute,  crouched  ready  to  spring  within 
a  yard  of  his  feet. 

But  even  as  he  struck  the  bobcat  sprang! 

The  sharp  blade  of  the  ax  met  the  cat's  head  in 
midair,  splitting  it  from  nose  to  neck ;  and  the  body 
of  the  ugly  little  animal  fell  writhing  in  its  death 
agonies  at  Gideon's  feet. 

"  Reckon  yew  owe  yewr  future  good  looks  tew 
that  ax  blow,  Gid,"  Silas  exclaimed,  as  he  hurried 
up,  rifle  in  hand,  to  where  Gideon  stood  staring 
down  at  the  dead  body  of  the  bobcat.  "  He'd  a-torn 
yewr  face  tew  ribbons  afore  I  could  have  shot  him. 
A  bobcat's  'bout  th'  ugliest  critter  alive  in  a  tussle, 
bein'  mostly  nails  an'  teeth.  But  ain't  he  a  beauty?  " 
and  Silas  bent  and  stroked  the  glossy  fur  of  the 
dead  lynx  with  one  of  his  hands. 

"Hurt,  Son?"  and  Big  Tom  ran  up,  his  face 
still  a  little  white  from  the  excitement  of  the 
moment. 

"Not  a  scratch,  Dad,"  Gideon  answered,  giving 
the  body  of  the  bobcat  a  contemptuous  kick  with  the 
toe  of  his  foot.  "  But  I'm  powerful  glad  my  ax  hit 
his  head  before  he  clawed  me,  or  he  sure  would 
have  spoilt  my  beauty,  as  Si  says,"  and  he  shud- 
dered at  the  thought  of  his  narrow  escape  from 
those  sharp  nails  and  teeth. 

"  The  hide'll  make  a  fine  cradle-robe  for  the  baby," 


72  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

and  Big  Tom  poked  the  soft  fur  of  the  bobcat  with 
the  toe  of  his  foot  contemplatively.  "  Now,  throw 
the  body  into  the  wagon  and  get  to  work  on  the 
tree,"  and,  ax  in  hand,  he  turned  to  the  prostrate 
trunk  of  the  great  tree.  "  Bring  the  saw  back  with 
you ! "  he  called,  as  Gideon  picked  up  the  body  of 
the  bobcat  by  the  hind  legs  and  started  for  the 
wagon. 

The  bobcat,  or  lynx,  is  not  a  large  animal,  being 
only  a  little  more  than  twice  the  size  of  a  large  cat, 
which  it  resembles  quite  closely  in  appearance,  ex- 
cept in  the  ears  and  the  tail.  The  ears  of  a  bob- 
cat are  tipped  by  an  upright,  slender  tuft  of  black 
hairs,  about  an  inch  and  a  half  long,  and  the  tail 
is  short  and  thick,  hence  the  name,  bobcat.  Conse- 
quently Gideon  had  no  trouble  in  carrying  the  body 
of  the  bobcat  to  the  wagon  and  throwing  it  into  the 
wagon  box.  Then  he  secured  the  saw  his  father 
had  asked  him  to  get  and  hurried  back  with  it  to 
the  two  men. 

Big  Tom  took  the  saw,  a  long-bladed  crosscut 
saw,  with  a  handle  at  each  end,  and,  roughly 
measuring  off  about  ten  feet  of  the  length  of  the 
great  trunk,  he  drew  the  sharp  teeth  of  the  saw 
across  the  log. 

"  Reckon  that's  'bout  the  right  length,"  he  said. 
"  Catch  hold,  Si,"  and,  gripping  one  of  the  handles 
with  both  hands,  he  thrust  the  saw  blade  sharply 
across  the  trunk  to  Silas,  who  stood  on  the  other 
side  of  the  tree.  Silas  gripped  the  handle  at  his 
end  of  the  blade,  and  swiftly  the  two  men  thrust  the 


The  Bobcat  73 


blade  back  and  forth,  back  and  forth  between  them, 
while  the  sharp  teeth  of  the  saw  bit  deeply  into 
the  wood  of  the  trunk. 

In  this  way  they  sawed  the  great  trunk  into 
lengths  of  about  ten  feet  each. 

When  the  first  log  was  ready,  Gideon  unhitched 
the  oxen  from  the  wagon,  fastened  a  log-chain 
around  one  end  of  the  log,  caught  the  hook  at  the 
other  end  of  the  chain  into  the  ring  of  the  ox  yoke, 
and  started  campward,  with  the  oxen  snaking  the 
log  over  the  ground  behind  them,  while  his  father 
and  Silas  remained  in  the  woods  at  work. 

By  noon  three  great  logs  and  a  wagon  load  of 
poles  had  been  hauled  to  the  camp.  This  was 
deemed  a  sufficient  amount  of  material  to  work 
with  for  the  present. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HOMEMADE   FURNITURE 

A  FTER  dinner,  during  which  Silas  had  again 
*^»  proved  that  he  was  "as  hungry  as  a  b'ar," 
Big  Tom  started  in  to  turn  one  of  the  logs  that 
only  that  morning  had  been  a  part  of  a  growing 
tree,  into  a  table.  First  he  and  Silas,  with  axes 
and  a  beetle  and  wedges,  carefully  split  the  log 
lengthwise  through  its  center.  Then  they  again 
split  each  of  these  halves,  thus  forming  two  rough 
planks  some  ten  feet  long  by  two  feet  wide  and  six 
inches  thick,  when  rudely  trimmed  into  shape  with 
the  ax.  Big  Tom  and  Silas  now  carefully  smoothed 
off,  with  a  broad-bladed  hand-ax  and  an  adz,  one 
side  and  the  edges  of  each  of  these  planks,  carefully 
fitted  the  twro  planks  together,  edge  to  edge,  and 
fastened  them  with  wooden  pegs  driven  into  holes 
bored  into  the  edges. 

Iron  nails,  in  those  days,  since  they  had  to  be 
forged  slowly  by  hand,  were  costly  and  little  used, 
especially  by  the  pioneers,  who  were  usually  far 
away  from  blacksmith  shops  and  hardware  stores 
and  obliged  to  economize  in  every  possible  way. 
Big  Tom  had  a  few  of  the  precious  iron  nails,  but 
he  never  used  one,  unless  absolutely  obliged  to  do  so. 

The  table  was  now  ready  for  its  legs.  The  legs 
were  made  out  of  poles,  sawed  off  the  right  length 

74 


Homemade  Furniture  75 

and  whittled  off  round  at  one  end  and  driven  tightly 
into  auger  holes  bored  through  the  table  top,  two 
at  each  end  and  two  in  the  middle.  Thus  a  rude, 
but  strong  and  serviceable  table,  had  been  quickly 
fashioned  out  of  what  that  morning  had  been  a 
tree  growing  in  the  forest. 

"Quick  work,"  Big  Tom  declared,  with  pleased 
satisfaction,  as  he  and  Silas  stood  the  now  com- 
pleted table  on  its  own  legs.  "  Nothing  fancy  about 
it,  but  it  is  strong  and  serviceable  and  the  grub  will 
taste  as  good  off  it  as  if  it  were  made  of  mahogany 
by  the  best  tablemaker  that  ever  sawed  a  board; 
and,  I  reckon,  that's  'bout  all  we'll  ask  of  it.  How 
do  you  like  it,  Martha?"  and  he  turned  with  a 
smile  to  Mrs.  Clay,  who  had  hurried  out  of  the 
house,  as  soon  as  the  table  was  completed,  to  look 
it  over. 

"Fine!"  she  declared,  as  she  moved  her  hand 
over  its  smooth  top.  "  Beats  all  how  easy  it  is  for 
you  to  do  things,  Tom.  Just  think,  this  table  was 
a  growing  tree  this  morning  and  tonight  we're 
a-going  to  eat  our  supper  off  it!  Don't  take  much 
to  keep  house,  when  folks  know  how  to  use  the 
things  God  gives  free,  does  it?"  and  she  smiled. 
"Now  lug  the  table  into  the  house.  I  can  use  it 
right  now,"  and  she  hurried  back  into  the  house. 

Big  Tom  and  Silas  carried  the  table  into  the  half- 
faced  camp. 

"Tonight  we'll  have  the  best  supper  I  can  cook," 
Mrs.  Clay  said,  as  the  two  men  set  the  table  down 
where  she  directed,  "to  sort  of  consecrate  the  table 


76  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

to  hospitality.  May  no  one  ever  go  hungry  from 
it! "  and  her  face  sobered;  for  she  had  known  what 
hunger  meant — there  were  few  pioneer  families 
who  had  not.  "But/'  and  the  smile  returned  to 
her  face,  "what  shall  we  sit  on?" 

"  Chairs,  to  be  sure,"  grinned  Big  Tom.  "  Did 
you  think  we  would  sit  on  our  heels  ?  " 

"Better  get  to  work  making  them,  then/'  ad- 
monished Mrs.  Clay.  "  We  will  need  about  six  to 
start  with." 

"  All  right.  Chairs  are  next  on  the  docket,"  and 
Big  Tom  hurried  back  to  his  outdoor  carpenter 
shop. 

In  an  hour  the  six  chairs  were  ready.  They  had 
been  quickly  made  by  splitting  another  log  into  a 
plank  about  four  inches  thick;  and  then  sawing 
the  plank  up  into  lengths  of  about  eighteen  inches 
each.  These  lengths  were  then  roughly  rounded 
and  rudely  shaped  into  seats,  four  holes  bored  into 
them  for  the  legs,  and  the  legs,  sticks  of  wood 
sawed  and  cut  to  the  right  thickness  and  length, 
driven  into  the  holes  and  braced  with  shorter  pieces 
of  wood,  lashed  firmly  into  place  with  thongs  of 
deerskin.  They  had  no  backs,  but,  otherwise,  they 
answered  the  purpose  of  chairs  quite  as  well  as  do 
the  costly  and  beautiful  products  of  the  cabinet- 
maker's skill  in  use  today;  and  that  was  all  our 
friends  required  of  them. 

"Now  for  the  beds,"  Big  Tom  said,  when  the 
chairs  were  completed  and  placed  inside  the  house 
in  an  orderly  row  for  the  admiring  eyes  of  Mrs. 


Homemade  Furniture  77 

Clay  and  Ruth  to  look  at.  "Reckon  we'll  need 
three  beds  ? "  and  Big  Tom  turned  to  Mrs.  Clay 
for  confirmation. 

"Yes/'  and  the  good  woman  paused  for  a  mo- 
ment from  her  work  to  consider  the  problem, 
"that'll  do.  Ruth  and  I  can  bunk  together  when 
we  have  company." 

Six  pieces  of  wood,  about  four  inches  thick,  six 
inches  wide  and  eight  and  a  half  feet  long,  were 
now  split  and  hewn  out  of  the  logs;  and  auger  holes 
bored  in  each  end  of  each  of  these  timbers,  for  the 
legs  and  the  head  and  the  foot  poles.  Then  the 
legs  and  the  head  and  the  foot  poles  were  made — 
and  the  beds  were  ready  to  put  together  in  their 
places  inside  the  house.  This  was  done  by  driving 
the  legs  and  the  head  and  the  foot  pieces  into  the 
auger  holes  bored  for  them;  and  then  boring  holes 
into  the  upright  poles,  which  you  will  remember 
"sided"  the  ends  and  one  side  of  the  half-faced 
camp,  at  the  right  height  and  distance  apart  to  re- 
ceive the  ends  of  the  head  and  the  foot  poles,  which, 
on  one  side,  projected  several  inches  through  the 
holes  bored  in  that  side  of  th£  bed  frame.  This  gave 
the  solid  outer  frame  of  the  bed.  Small  holes,  about 
eight  inches  apart,  were  now  bored  along  the  upper 
edge  of  this  frame  and  hardwood  pegs  driven  into 
them,  leaving  about  an  inch  of  the  peg  projecting 
out  of  the  hole. 

"Now  get  the  balls  of  deerskin  and  I'll  show 
you  how  to  '  rope '  the  beds,"  Big  Tom  said,  when 
the  three  frames  were  up  and  pegged,  turning  to 


78  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Ruth,  who  had  been  a  most  interested  watcher  while 
the  bed  frames  were  being  put  into  their  places. 

Ruth  hurried  to  a  large  bag,  in  which  various 
odds  and  ends  were  kept  and  which  hung  from  one 
of  the  hanging  pegs  Big  Tom  had  driven  into  the 
walls  of  the  house  the  night  before,  and  quickly 
returned  with  a  couple  of  large  balls  of  narrow 
strips  of  deerskin.  The  strips  had  been  cut  about 
an  inch  wide  and  as  long  as  possible  and  then  tied 
together  and  tightly  wound  up  into  the  balls;  and 
answered  very  well  all  the  purposes  of  a  very  strong 
and  serviceable  small  rope. 

Big  Tom  took  one  of  the  balls,  tied  one  end  of 
the  deerskin  around  the  head-pole  of  one  of  the 
beds;  and  then  began  weaving  the  deerskin  rope 
back  and  forth,  back  and  forth,  across  the  bed 
frame  and  around  the  heads  of  the  little  pegs  driven 
into  the  frame,  keeping  the  rope  taut  and  stopping 
every  now  and  then  to  tighten  it  by  stretching  and 
pulling  up  the  slack.  In  this  way  the  entire  bed 
was  "  roped,"  making  a  strong  and  springy  support 
for  the  mattress,  on  which  one  could  sleep  as  com- 
fortably and  dream  as  happily  as  on  any  of  our 
modern  spring  beds. 

"There,"  he  declared,  when  the  "roping"  was 
completed,  "that'll  make  about  as  comfortable  a 
bed  as  money  could  buy,  and  all  that  it  cost  was  a 
little  work  and  planning.  Just  see  the  spring  to 
it,"  and,  turning  quickly,  he  caught  Ruth  up  into 
his  arms  and  tossed  her,  full-length,  on  the  tightly 
drawn  deerskin  meshes  of  the  bed;  and  so  great 


Homemade  Furniture  79 

was  the  spring  of  the  deerskin  that  her  body 
bounded  nearly  a  foot  up  into  the  air. 

"  Do  it  again !  Do  it  again ! "  Ruth  begged,  jump- 
ing off  the  bed  and  turning  to  her  father  with 
flushed  face  and  shining  eyes. 

"  Too  busy,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "  Must  get  the 
other  beds  'roped'  before  supper;  and  I  see  that 
your  ma  is  about  ready  to  set  the  table  now.  The 
first  helping  at  the  supper  table  to  the  one  who  gets 
his  bed  '  roped '  first,"  and  Big  Tom  turned  a  grin- 
ning face  to  Silas.  "Gid  can  help  you  and  Ruth 
will  help  me,"  and  he  indicated  the  two  beds 
remaining  "unroped." 

"Let's  git  a-goin',  then,"  and  Silas  seized  the 
other  ball  of  deerskin  rope.  "Th'  smell  o'  that 
cookin's  powerful  drawin'  tew  an  empty  stumick. 
I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar.  Lively,  now,  when  I  asks 
for  th'  ball,"  and  he  handed  the  ball  of  deerskin 
to  Gideon,  and,  unwinding  a  little  of  the  skin,  stood 
ready  to  tie  it  to  the  head-pole  of  his  bed  at  the 
word  "go." 

"And  I'll  give  the  victors  an  extra  piece  of  the 
pie  that  I  just  took  out  of  the  baking  pan,"  laughed 
Mrs.  Clay,  pausing  to  turn  a  face,  flushed  with  the 
heat  of  the  fire,  in  their  direction. 

"  Now,  we've  jest  got  tew  win,  if  we  bust  our 
bilers  a-doin'  it!  Ready,  Tom?"  and  Silas  turned 
a  grinning  face  to  Big  Tom. 

"Yes,"  answered  Big  Tom,  bending  over  the 
head  of  his  bed,  skin  rope  in  hand. 

"  Let  her  go,  then ! "  shouted  Silas.    "  Remember 


8o  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  pie!"  and  his  swift  fingers  began  tying  the  rope 
around  the  head-pole. 

For  a  time,  so  evenly  did  the  swift  fingers  of 
the  two  men  weave  the  deerskin  around  the  pegs 
in  the  beds,  it  was  impossible  to  tell  who  was  ahead ; 
then  Ruth,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment, 
dropped  the  ball  her  father  had  handed  to  her  to 
hold  for  an  instant,  and  the  ball  rolled  some  dis- 
tance away. 

"Jumping  Moses !  There  goes  our  pie ! "  and  Big 
Tom,  followed  by  Ruth,  leaped  after  the  ball,  with 
the  result  that  Ruth's  head  and  her  father's  nose 
came  together,  with  a  thump  that  caused  Ruth  to 
cry  out  with  pain  and  Big  Tom  to  grab  his  nose 
with  both  hands  and  run  for  the  wash  basin,  leaving 
Silas  and  Gideon  grinning  and  chuckling  with 
amusement  and  triumph. 

"Hurrah!  The  pie  is  ours!"  yelled  Gideon,  a 
few  minutes  later,  as  Silas  tied  the  final  knot  in 
the  skin  rope  that  completed  the  "roping"  of  their 
bed. 

"  An'  th'  fust  helpin'  at  th'  supper  table.  Don't 
fergit  that.  Say,  ain't  that  supper  'bout  ready? 
I  shore  am  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar,"  and  Silas  straight- 
ened up  his  long  frame  and  turned  a  whimsically 
smiling  face  to  Mrs.  Clay.  "  Jest  th'  smell  o'  yewr 
cookin'  is  'nough  tew  give  a  feller  th'  appetite  o'  a 
hoss." 

"  Yes,  supper'll  be  ready  as  soon  as  youVe  washed 
up.  Take  a  pail  along  with  you  to  the  spring  and 
bring  it  back  full  of  water,"  and  Mrs.  Clay  handed 


Homemade  Furniture  81 

an  empty  water  pail  to  Gideon.  "  Get  out  the  best 
knives  and  forks  and  the  silver  spoons  that  your 
Uncle  Frank  gave  me  for  a  wedding  present,"  she 
directed  Ruth,  as  the  two  men  and  Gideon  set  out 
for  the  spring  to  "  wash  up."  "  Nothing  is  too  good 
for  us  tonight,"  and  she  smiled  happily,  as  happily, 
doubtless,  as  she  would  have  smiled  had  they  been 
about  to  eat  their  first  meal  in  a  well- furnished  and 
comfortable  house,  instead  of  that  pioneer's  rude, 
half -faced  camp,  which  all  goes  to  show  how  little 
our  material  surroundings  have  to  do  with  our  real 
happiness. 

When  Gideon  and  the  two  men  returned  from 
the  spring,  after  having  "washed  up,"  supper  was 
ready. 

A  white  tablecloth  covered  the  roughness  of  the 
table,  while  the  shining  pewter  plates  and  drinking 
cups,  brightly  scoured  knives  and  forks,  glistening 
silver  spoons,  a  few  cherished  pieces  of  china,  a 
large  pewter  platter  and  a  huge  bouquet  of  the 
beautiful  wild  flowers  that  grew  so  abundantly  all 
around  them  gave  the  table  something  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  luxury,  when  seen  in  the  midst  of  such 
humble  surroundings.  The  evening  was  warm  and 
clear  and  the  protecting  skins  and  blankets  that 
curtained  one  side  of  the  half -faced  camp,  were 
lifted  to  let  in  the  light  and  the  air.  A  few  feet 
away,  just  outside  of  the  enclosure,  blazed  and 
crackled  a  camp  fire.  Around  all  was  the  green  of 
the  level  prairie,  framed  on  one  side  by  the  dark 
shadows  of  the  forest.  In  the  west  the  sun  was 


82  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

just  sinking,  in  a  glory  of  red  and  golden  lights, 
behind  the  flame-topped  hills. 

"  I  swun,  now,"  and  Silas  paused  near  the  camp 
fire  and  looked  slowly  around,  "if  this  ain't  th' 
purtiest  picter  I've  seen  in  a  b'ar's  age,  so  peaceful 
an'  quietlike,  an'  —  an'  —  I  kin't  put  th'  feelin'  it 
gives  me  intew  words,  but,  I  reckon,  yew  know  what 
I  mean,  Tom." 

"Reckon  I  do,  Si,"  and  something  very  much 
like  tears  glistened  deep  back  in  Big  Tom's  eyes. 
"Leastwise  it  makes  me  think  of  the  goodness  of 
God  and  the  beauty  of  His  creation,  mixed  with  a 
sort  of  comfortable  homelike  feeling." 

"That's  it,"  and  the  face  of  Silas  lighted.  "It's 
th'  wimen  folks  that  has  warmed  th'  hull  picter 
with  a  feel  o'  home.  It  takes  wimen's  taste  an' 
wimen's  cookin'  tew  make  a  home,  it  shore  does  — 
Glory  be ! "  and  he  turned  quickly  to  Mrs.  Clay, 
who  had  just  set  the  platter,  loaded  with  a  steaming- 
hot  turkey  pie,  down  on  the  table,  "if  th'  smell  o' 
that  turkey  ain't  got  intew  my  stumick  an'  sot  it 
tew  beggin'  worser'n  a  Meth'dist  parson  passin' 
round  a  collection  box." 

"Well,  you  can  start  taking  up  the  collection 
right  off,"  laughed  Mrs.  Clay.  "  Set  right  down." 

Silas  and  the  others  needed  no  second  invitation ; 
and,  in  a  moment  more,  all  were  seated  around 
the  table. 

"  Tew  th'  victor  belongs  th'  spiles,"  grinned  Silas, 
his  eyes  on  the  steaming  turkey  pie.  "  Fust  helpin's," 
and  his  hand  extended  his  plate  to  Big  Tom. 


Homemade  Furniture  83 

"And  the  pie,"  exulted  Gideon.  "Ma,  I'll  take 
my  extra  piece  now,"  and  he  passed  his  plate  to  his 
mother. 

Mrs.  Clay  gave  Gideon  his  extra  piece  of  pie, 
with  a  smiling  remark  about  eating  pie  first,  while 
Big  Tom  loaded  the  plate  of  Silas  with  turkey  pie. 

"  Good  'nuf  for  th'  Queen  o'  Sheba  or  th'  Sar  o' 
all  th'  Russias,"  was  Silas's  comment  on  the  supper, 
when,  at  last,  he  pushed  his  plate  from  him  and 
declared  himself  filled  up  "clean  tew  th'  muzzle." 


CHAPTER  IX 

OLD  WHITENOSE 

"NF°W  tell  us  about  Old  Whitenose,  the  bear," 
*  ^  begged  Gideon,  that  night,  when,  the  day's 
work  done,  all  had  gathered  around  the  blazing 
camp  fire.  "You  said  that  he  had  been  defying 
you  and  Old  Man  Kellogg  for  more  than  two  years. 
Now,  what  did  you  mean  by  defying?'*  and  his 
eyes,  alight  with  interest,  turned  eagerly  to  the  face 
of  the  old  hunter. 

"Wai,"  and  Silas  took  the  pipe  he  was  smoking 
out  of  his  mouth  and  carefully  laid  it  down  by  his 
side  on  the  log  on  which  he  sat,  "if  b'ar  ever 
defied  humans,  I  reckon  Old  Whitenose  has  defied 
me  an'  Old  Man  Kellogg.  Fust  he  stole  a  pig  from 
Old  Man  Kellogg's  pen.  That  sort  o'  riled  Old 
Man  Kellogg  an'  he  started  out  tew  git  him.  Th' 
trail  was  plain  an'  Old  Man  Kellogg  had  no  trouble 
in  follerin'  th'  thief,  till  he  come  tew  whar  he'd 
stopped  tew  eat  th'  pig.  From  thar  follerin'  th' 
trail  wan't  easy;  but  he  managed  tew  f oiler  it  till 
he  come  tew  th'  edge  o'  th'  Big  Swamp;  an'  thar, 
right  afore  his  eyes  an'  not  more'n  five  rods  away, 
he  saw  a  monstrous  big  black  b'ar,  with  a  white 
nose,  rise  up  sudden  from  ahind  a  big  log  an'  turn 
an'  look  at  him,  not  scartlike,  but  inquisitivelike, 
as  much  as  tew  say,  '  Was  it  me  yew  was  a-lookin' 
for?' 

84 


Old  Whitenose  85 


"  Old  Man  Kellogg's  powerful  quick  with  his 
gun  an'  he  swears  that  afore  th'  b'ar  made  anuther 
move,  he'd  up  with  his  rifle  an'  drawed  a  bead  on 
th'  b'ar's  right  eye  an'  pulled  th'  trigger.  Now 
I've  seed  Old  Man  Kellogg  drive  a  nail  with  a  bullet 
from  his  rifle  that  far ;  an'  yit  he  says  that  that  thar 
b'ar  jest  sort  o'  shook  his  head,  like  he  heered  a  fly 
buzzin'  'bout  his  ears,  at  th'  crack  o'  his  rifle,  an* 
slid  back  ahind  th'  log,  not  frightenedlike,  but  slow 
an'  indifferentlike ;  an',  when  atter  loadin'  his  rifle, 
he  hurried  up  tew  th'  log,  th'  b'ar  had  vanished 
without  leavin'  no  trail  ahind  him  that  Old  Man 
Kellogg  could  find. 

"That  was  th'  fust  time  Old  Man  Kellogg  saw 
Old  Whitenose;  but  he'd  heered  th'  Injuns  tell  o' 
a  big  black  b'ar,  with  a  white  nose,  that  lived  in 
th'  Big  Swamp,  which  was  a  devil-b'ar  that  no 
bullet  or  arrer  or  knife  could  kill ;  an'  he  had  laughed 
at  th'  Injuns.  Now  he  shook  his  head  and  wondered. 

"  One  mornin',  not  more'n  six  months  atter  that, 
I  was  a-lookin'  for  a  turkey  for  break  fust  an'  was 
a-creepin'  through  some  underbrush  up  tew  a  big 
dead  tree,  whar  I  knowed  a  number  o'  fat  turkey- 
cocks  was  a-roostin',  when,  right  in  front  o'  me, 
not  more'n  three  rods  away,  a  big  black  b'ar,  with 
a  white  nose,  rise  up  on  his  hind  legs,  like  he'd 
popped  up  out  o'  th'  ground,  an'  stood  an'  looked 
at  me,  not  scartlike,  but  inquisitivelike,  as  if  he 
wanted  tew  know  was  I  looking  for  him.  I  was 
so  close  that  I  could  see  his  curious  white  nose  plain. 

"Wai,  I  sudden  concluded  I'd  have  b'ar  steak, 


86  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

'stead  o'  turkey,  for  break  fust,  an'  thro  wed  my 
rifle  tew  my  shoulder  an'  took  quick  aim  for  th' 
b'ar's  wicked-lookin'  leetle  right  eye  an'  fired.  An', 
as  shore  as  I  am  a-settin'  here,  that  thar  b'ar  jest 
shook  his  head,  like  a  fly  was  a-buzzin'  'bout  his 
ears,  drapt  down  on  all  fours,  an'  slid  off  through 
th'  woods,  not  scartlike,  but  indifferentlike,  an* 
a-turnin'  his  head  back  over  his  shoulder  tew  look 
at  me  an'  a-grinnin'  scorn ful-1  ike. 

"  Wai,  I  jest  stood  thar  an'  stared  atter  that  b'ar, 
tew  'sprised  tew  move,  for  I'd  never  missed  a  dead- 
easy  shot  like  that  afore,  till  th'  b'ar  got  out  o' 
sight,  then  I  begun  tew  git  mad,  an'  th'  more  I 
thought  o'  that  miss  th'  madder  I  got.  I  vowed 
that  no  b'ar  could  stump  me  like  that  an'  live;  an* 
so  I  loaded  up  my  rifle  an'  started  tew  trail  th' 
b'ar,  determined  tew  git  him  afore  night,  if  I  had 
tew  bust  my  bilers  a-doin'  it. 

"  It  had  rained  hard  th'  night  afore  and  th'  trail 
was  easy  tew  foller.  Th'  b'ar  headed  straight  for 
th'  Big  Swamp  and  I  follered.  Once  I  caught 
sight  o'  him,  as  he  was  crossin'  an  openin';  but  he 
was  tew  far  ahead  o'  me  tew  chance  a  shot.  Then 
I  seed  nuthin'  o'  him  ag'in  till  I  reached  th'  edge 
o'  th'  Big  Swamp,  when  he  rise  up  from  ahind  a 
big  log,  sudden,  like  he'd  popped  up  out  o'  th' 
ground,  reared  up  on  his  hind  legs  an'  looked  at 
me  inquisitivelike,  as  if  he  might  be  askin',  'Was 
it  me  yew  was  a-follerin'  ? 

1  'Shore,'  I  says  back;  'an'  I've  got  yew  this 
time,  sartin,'  an'  I  throwed  my  gun  tew  my  shoulder, 


Old  Whitenose  87 


took  keerful  aim  ag'in  at  that  leetle,  wicked-lookin' 
right  eye  an'  pulled  th'  trigger,  th'  b'ar  not  bein' 
more'n  three  rods  from  th'  muzzle  o'  my  gun  — " 

"And  —  and  did  you  get  him?"  broke  in  Gideon, 
too  anxious  and  too  excited  to  await  the  slow-spoken 
words  of  Silas. 

"Th'  b'ar,"  continued  Silas,  solemnly,  "jest 
shook  that  white  nose  o'  his,  like  he  heered  a  fly 
buzzin'  'bout  it,  drapt  down  ahind  th'  log  ag'in,  not 
scartlike  or  flustered,  but  unconsarnedlike  an'  easy, 
an'  disappeared,  without  leavin'  no  trail;  leastwise 
I  could  find  none,  when  I  rushed  tew  th'  log,  knife 
in  hand,  without  stoppin'  tew  load  my  rifle." 

"  Good  land ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Clay,  her  eyes 
round  with  wonder,  "  You  don't  mean  that  that  bear 
disappeared,  in  broad  daylight,  right  before  your 
eyes,  and  you  not  able  to  see  where  he  went  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly  right  afore  my  eyes.  He  jest  drapt 
down  ahind  that  big  log  an'  when  I  ran  up  tew  th' 
log  he'd  vanished,  without  leavin'  no  trail,  so  far 
as  I  could  see.  But  that  ain't  so  curious  as  it  is 
that  I  should  miss  him  twice  in  one  day,  an'  both 
on  'em  dead-easy  shots.  That's  what  made  me  feel 
kindy  queer  an'  sort  o'  shaky  in  th'  legs,  as  I  stood 
aside  th'  log  an'  tried  tew  figger  it  all  out.  I  never 
knowed  my  old  gun  tew  miss  hittin'  what  I  aimed 
it  at  afore,"  and  Silas  shook  his  head,  like  one 
who  had  given  up  all  hopes  of  solving  the  mysteri- 
ous puzzle. 

"  Th'  log  was  a  big  one,"  he  continued,  "  more'n 
five  feet  through,  an'  ran  on  a  slant  down  a  leetle 


88  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

hill,  with  th'  lower  end  a-runnin'  down  intew  a 
leetle  pond  o'  marsh  water.  Fust  off  I  thought  th' 
log  might  be  holler  an'  that  th'  b'ar  had  crawled 
intew  it ;  but  he  couldn't  have  done  that,  'cause  thar 
wan't  no  way  that  I  could  find  for  him  tew  git 
inside  o'  it,  except  through  a  rotten  old  knothole 
not  more'n  six  inches  across.  Then  I  thought  he 
might  have  slipped  intew  th'  water  an'  swam  across 
th'  pond;  but  he  couldn't  have  done  that  neither, 
'cause  I  searched  every  inch  o'  th'  bank  around  th' 
pond  an'  I'm  ready  tew  swear  that  no  b'ar  crawled 
out  o'  that  water.  If  he  went  intew  th'  pond,  he 
staid  thar.  Finally,  atter  searchin'  an'  figgerin'  an' 
lookin',  I  concluded  that  my  bullet  must  have  hit 
true  an'  that  th'  b'ar  must  have  got  intew  th'  water 
afore  he  died  an'  that  his  body  was  a-lyin'  on  th' 
bottom  o'  th'  pond.  That  sort  o'  made  me  feel 
better;  an'  atter  restin'  a  bit,  I  sot  out  for  home, 
still  puzzlin'  over  how  I  come  tew  miss  that  fust 
shot. 

"  Wai,  I'd  'most  fergot  'bout  th'  big  white-nosed 
b'ar,  when  one  evenin',  'bout  six  months  later,  I 
was  a-goin'  tew  th'  spring  atter  a  pail  o'  water  an' 
was  jest  a-bendin'  over  th'  water  tew  fill  th'  pail, 
when  I  heered  a  sort  o'  s'prised  'Whoof !  Whoof !' 
ahind  me.  I  drapt  th'  pail  quick,  for  I  knowed  it 
was  a  b'ar,  an'  whirled  about  —  an'  thar,  not  more'n 
tew  rods  from  me,  a-standin'  in  th'  path  on  his 
hind  legs,  was  that  identickle  white-nosed  b'ar  that 
I  thought  was  a-lyin'  dead  at  th'  bottom  o'  th'  pond, 
a-lookin'  at  me,  not  scartlike,  but  inquisitivelike,  an* 


Old  Whitenose  89 


wrinklin'  up  his  white  nose,  an'  swaying'  his  head 
from  side  tew  side.  He  must  have  knowed  I'd  left 
my  gun  at  th'  house,  'cause  he  stood  thar,  a-grinnin' 
an'  a-swayin'  his  head  for  a  couple  o'  minutes  or 
more,  afore,  with  anuther  'Whoof!  Whoof!'  he 
slid  down  on  his  feet  an'  slipped  out  o'  sight  in  th' 
willows  that  growed  round  th'  spring. 

"  As  for  me,  I  was  plumb  stumpt  an'  stood  thar, 
like  I'd  been  frozen  stiff,  till  th'  b'ar  had  disap- 
peared in  th'  willows.  Then  I  picked  up  th'  pail, 
filled  it  with  water  an'  walked  back  tew  th'  house, 
a-scratchin'  my  head  an'  a-puzzlin'  over  that  white- 
nosed  b'ar. 

"  Th'  very  next  mornin'  Old  Man  Kellogg  routed 
me  out  afore  sunrise.  He  was  mad  plumb  from 
his  moccasins  tew  his  coonskin  cap.  Seems  a  b'ar 
had  been  raidin'  his  pig  pen  off  an'  on  for  'bout  a 
year  an'  th'  night  afore  he  had  got  his  last  pig. 
Yes,  Old  Man  Kellogg  sartinly  was  mad;  an'  he 
vowed  he'd  git  that  b'ar,  if  he  had  tew  camp  on  his 
trail  for  a  week.  Now  he  wanted  me  tew  go  'long 
with  him  on  a  death-hunt  for  Old  Whitenose,  as 
he  called  th'  b'ar,  'cause  he  tried  alone  in  vain  tew 
git  him. 

"' Whitenose!'  I  says.  'Did  th'  b'ar  have  a 
white  nose?' 

"'He  shore  did,'  answered  Old  Man  Kellogg; 
an'  then  he  told  me  o'  his  experiences  with  a  big 
black  b'ar  with  a  white  nose ;  an'  I  told  him  o'  mine ; 
an'  both  on  us  agreed  that  it  was  powerful  curious 
an'  some  startlin';  but  we  reckoned  it  all  could  be 


go  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

explained  natural-like,  when  we  got  the  rights  o' 
it,  an*  not  accordin'  tew  Injun  belief  that  th'  b'ar 
was  a  devil-b'ar,  an'  couldn't  be  killed  by  no  bullet 
or  arrer  or  knife.  Leastwise  we  wanted  tew  try 
some  more  bullets  on  him;  an',  atter  I'd  eated  a 
hurried  break  fust,  we  shouldered  our  guns  an* 
started  out  tew  give  Old  Whitenose  th'  hunt  o' 
his  life. 

"  Wai,  it  sartin  was  a  hunt  all  right,  a  hunt  with 
no  findin'.  We  hit  his  trail  an'  follered  it  tew  th' 
identickle  big  log  in  th'  edge  o'  th'  Big  Swamp, 
whar  Old  Man  Kellogg  had  lost  it  afore,  an'  whar 
I  had  lost  it  afore,  an'  thar  we  both  on  us  lost  it 
ag'in.  We  was  both  plumb  stumpt  an'  clean  mys- 
tified. We  could  not  figger  it  out  no  sensible  way; 
an',  finally,  we  was  obliged  tew  give  up  th'  hunt. 

"'No  use  huntin'  Old  Whitenose  without  dogs,' 
Old  Man  Kellogg  said,  as  we  started  home,  still 
puzzlin'  over  th'  mystery.  'An'  I'm  goin'  tew  git 
th'  dogs  that  will  dew  it.  I  won't  'low  no  white- 
nosed  old  b'ar  tew  lug  off  my  pigs  an'  defy  me  tew 
make  him  pay  for  'em.  I  kin  wait;  but  I'll  git 
him  yit.' 

"Neither  one  on  us  has  seen  Old  Whitenose 
since;  but  we've  heered  tell  o'  him  time  an'  ag'in 
from  Injun  an'  white  hunters,  who've  shot  at  him 
an'  allers  missed,  an'  tried  tew  trail  him  an'  allers 
lost  th'  trail  at  th'  edge  o'  th'  Big  Swamp,  aside  a 
big  log.  Th'  Injuns  call  him  White-Devil-B'ar,  an' 
say  that  no  mortal  kin  kill  him.  I  dunno  'bout 
that;  but  he  sartin  does  'pear  tew  bear  a  charmed 


Old  Whitenose  91 


life.  Now  Old  Man  Kellogg's  jest  got  tew  more 
pigs,  an',  what's  more  tew  th'  pint,  he's  got  tew 
b'ar  hounds;  an'  we  rigger  tew  find  out  for  dead 
sartin  next  week  whether  or  not  Old  Whitenose  kin 
be  killed.  Leastwise  Old  Man  Kellogg  vows  tew 
git  him,  afore  he  kin  git  them  tew  pigs,  if  'tis  in  th' 
power  o'  mortal  tew  dew  it,"  and  Silas  picked  up 
his  pipe  and  began  vigorously  puffing  the  dying  fire 
in  it  into  life  again. 

"  I  sure  wish  I  was  going  with  you  on  that  hunt, 
Si,"  Big  Tom  declared,  the  moment  Silas  stopped 
speaking.  "I've  heard  Indians  and  trappers  tell 
afore  of  bears  and  other  animals  that  appeared  to 
be  protected  in  some  mysterious  way;  but  I  never 
had  any  faith  in  the  protection  and  always  wanted 
to  try  my  old  gun  on  one  of  those  mysteriously 
protected  animals.  But  it  sure  was  powerful  queer 
that  you  and  Old  Man  Kellogg  should  both  miss 
that  bear;  and  powerful  queer  that  he  disappeared 
the  way  he  did  without  leaving  a  trail.  I  sure  do, 
wish  I  was  going  with  you,"  and  Big  Tom  turned 
his  head  half  questioningly  to  Mrs.  Clay;  but  she 
shook  her  head  firmly. 

"  And  —  and  do  you  think  we  will  get  Old  White- 
nose  this  time?"  inquired  Gideon,  his  eyes  glowing 
with  excitement. 

"  Old  Man  Kellogg  will  be  shore  loaded  for  b'ar ; 
an*  he'll  have  th'  hounds  with  him,  so  we  kin't  lose 
th'  trail.  Yes,  I  reckon,  we're  bound  tew  git  him 
this  time,  if  th'  b'ar's  mortal  an'  not  a  sperit,  like 
th'  Injuns  say,"  answered  Silas. 


g2  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"  O,  but  I  wish  tomorrow  was  next  week  Thurs- 
day ! "  sighed  Gideon,  whose  young  imagination  had 
been  powerfully  stirred  by  the  weird  tale  of  Silas. 

"Twon't  be  long  comin',"  and  Silas  smiled  at 
the  boy's  eagerness ;  "  for,  accordin'  tew  my  reck- 
onin',  tewmorrer's  Sunday." 

"  Mercy  on  us !  So  it  is ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Clay. 
"And  I  had  my  work  all  planned  for  tomorrow, 
forgetting  all  about  its  being  the  Lord's  day.  It 
beats  all  how  forgetful  I  am  getting  to  be!  Well," 
and  her  face  softened,  "we  can  keep  the  day  holy 
out  here  in  this  wilderness,  just  as  truly  as  we 
could  in  the  finest  church  in  the  world." 

"More  truly  than  in  any  church  made  by  the 
hands  of  man,  for  here  we  have  God's  grandest 
and  most  beautiful  church  all  around  us  —  a  church 
of  his  own  building  —  creation,"  Big  Tom  said, 
quietly.  "  Creation,  just  as  He  made  it,  unmarred 
by  man's  hands." 

"I  sartin  agrees  with  that,"  commented  Silas. 
"I  allers  feel  more  religious,  when  I'm  standin'  in 
a  great  forest,  with  big  trees  liftin'  their  hands  up 
to  God  all  round  me,  or  on  a  broad  prairie,  with 
an  ocean  o'  green  grass  an'  beautiful  flowers  wavin' 
all  round  me,  or  on  th'  side  o'  a  towerin'  mount'in, 
with  other  big  mount'ins  pokin'  their  heads  up 
above  th'  clouds,  like  they  was  tryin'  tew  git  near 
tew  heaven,  than  I  ever  dew  in  a  church;  an'  I  kin 
hear  God's  voice  plainer  out  alone  in  th'  woods,  or 
on  th'  prairie,  or  'mong  th'  mount'ins  than  I  ever 
did  from  eny  church  pulpit.  Not  but  what  churches 


Old  Whitenose  93 


an'  parsons  are  all  right  for  'em  that  needs  'em/' 
he  added,  a  bit  apologetically.  "  But  out  here  whar 
we  kin  see  God  all  round  us,  we  don't  need  'em 
tew  tell  us  o'  God.  Now,"  and  he  turned  suddenly 
to  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth,  "  I  shore  would  like  tew 
hear  yew  sing  '  Annie  Laurie '  or  some  good  song." 

There  is  something  peculiarly  fascinating  to 
music,  when  heard  in  the  midst  of  the  stillness  and 
mystery  of  the  wilderness,  especially  at  nighttime, 
with  the  singers  and  the  listeners  sitting  around  a 
blazing  camp  fire;  and  Big  Tom  and  Silas  and 
Gideon  sat,  like  souls  entranced,  while  Mrs.  Clay 
and  Ruth  sang  "Annie  Laurie"  and  others  of  the 
beautiful  old  songs,  dear  to  the  hearts  of  all. 

At  last  Big  Tom  arose  and  stretched  his  long 
frame. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  regretfully,  "  I  reckon  we'll  have 
one  more  song  and  then  we  must  go  to  bed." 

"  Then  sing  '  Annie  Laurie '  once  more,"  begged 
Silas.  "  'Pears  like  I  kin  never  tire  o'  hearin'  that 
song.  I  reckon  it's  'cause  mother  used  tew  sing  it 
tew  me  when  I  was  a  boy;  an'  yewr  voice  sounds 
like  mother's." 

Mrs.  Clay  smiled ;  and  then,  sitting  there  in  the 
light  of  the  camp  fire,  with  the  stars  above  her  and 
the  darkness  and  the  mystery  of  the  night  and  the 
great  wilderness  all  around  her,  she  sang  the  beau- 
tiful old  song  that  so  often  has  charmed  the  ears 
and  touched  the  hearts  of  listeners  in  all  parts  of 
the  world. 

When  the  last  notes  of  the  song  died,  all  arose; 


94  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

and,  half  an  hour  later,  all  were  sound  asleep, 
having  found  the  new  beds  so  comfortable  that 
sleep  had  come  almost  the  moment  their  bodies 
sank  down  into  their  soft  embraces. 


CHAPTER  X 

UNEXPECTED  GUESTS 

those  who  are  obliged  to  rise  early  each 
weekday  morning  can  know  how  comfortable 
and  pleasant  it  is  to  lie  in  bed  on  a  Sunday  morning, 
drowsily  conscious  that  there  is  no  necessity  of 
arising  until  sleep  and  rest  are  both  satisfied.  The 
next  morning  our  pioneer  friends  enjoyed  to  the 
full  this  Sunday  privilege;  and  lay,  snugly  and 
comfortably,  in  their  beds,  until  the  sun  had  looked 
down  on  their  rude  shelter  for  at  least  a  couple 
of  hours.  Then  Big  Tom  rolled  over  in  his  bed, 
yawned  and  opened  his  eyes. 

"  Say,  but  this  is  comfortable,"  he  said,  rising 
up  on  one  elbow  and  looking  around  the  room. 

"  It  shore  is,"  agreed  Silas,  who  lay  in  the  bed 
by  his  side.  "  I've  been  awake  for  more'n  an  hour, 
jest  a-lettin'  th'  comfort  o'  this  bed  ooze  into  me. 
Yew  shore  dew  know  how  tew  make  a  bed  that 
sleeps  easy,  Tom.  That  deerskin  feels  jest  like 
springs  aneath  me." 

"  Say,  you  lazy  men,  there,  ain't  you  never  going 
to  get  up?"  called  Mrs.  Clay  from  her  bed  in  the 
other  end  of  the  room.  "  I've  been  wondering  when 
you  were  going  to  wake  up  for  the  last  hour.  If 
you  don't  get  right  up,  you'll  get  no  breakfast." 

"No  breakfust!   Great  horned  bufflers!  did  yew 

95 


g6  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

hear  that,  Tom  ? "  cried  Silas,  in  well-simulated 
alarm.  "Now,  git  right  up,  yew  big  lazy  hipper- 
potamus,  afore  it  is  tew  late,"  and,  suddenly  placing 
both  of  his  feet  against  the  back  of  Big  Tom,  he 
gave  so  violent  and  so  quick  a  shove  that  the  huge 
body  of  his  bedmate  was  hurled  out  of  the  bed  and 
landed  sprawlingly  on  the  floor,  with  a  grunt  and 
a  shock  that,  for  a  moment,  knocked  the  breath  out 
of  the  big  body.  Before  Big  Tom  could  jump  to 
his  feet,  the  old  hunter,  chuckling  happily,  tumbled 
out  of  the  bed  and  fled  from  the  room. 

"Served  you  right,"  laughed  Mrs.  Clay,  as  Big 
Tom  rose  slowly  to  his  feet.  "  Now,  get  a  good 
fire  going.  I'll  be  out  in  a  jiffy." 

Big  Tom  grinned  and  vowed  he'd  "get  even" 
with  Silas;  and,  hurrying  into  his  clothes,  started 
out.  As  he  passed  Gideon's  bed,  he  heard  a  snicker 
from  that  young  man;  for  Gideon  had  witnessed, 
with  great  delight,  the  manner  of  his  father's 
getting  out  of  bed. 

"  Laugh,  will  you,  you  young  rascal !  Laugh ! " 
and  one  of  the  big  hands  of  Big  Tom  suddenly 
shot  forth  and  caught  one  of  Gideon's  legs;  and 
the  next  thing  the  boy  knew  he  was  jerked  out  of 
bed,  bed-clothes  and  all,  and  dumped,  laughing  and 
protesting,  on  the  floor.  "  Splendid  way  of  getting 
a  fellow  out  of  bed,  ain't  it?  Warranted  to  take 
all  the  sleepyseeds  out  of  his  eyes  afore  his  feet  hit 
the  floor,"  and,  with  a  grin  all  over  his  face,  Big 
Tom  hurried  out  of  the  house. 

Sunday,  with  our  pioneer  friends,  was  a  real  day 


Unexpected  Guests  97 

of  rest.  No  work  was  done,  except  the  necessary 
choring  about  the  place;  and,  when  this  was  done, 
the  men  shaved  and  cleaned  up  and  put  on  their 
best  clothes;  and  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  washed  up 
and  dressed  up;  because,  as  Big  Tom  said,  it  made 
them  all  feel  a  little  more  respectable  and  civilized 
to  get  into  their  good  clothes  once  a  week,  even 
when  there  was  no  one  but  themselves  to  look  at 
themselves,  and  it  made  the  day  seem  more  like 
Sunday. 

Of  course  there  were  no  church  services  in  that 
wilderness  near  enough  for  them  to  attend;  but, 
after  all  were  cleaned  and  dressed,  they  had  a  simple 
religious  service  of  their  own;  and,  after  that,  all 
started  out  on  a  little  tour  of  exploration  around 
their  new  home.  When  night  came  they  again 
gathered  around  the  camp  fire,  and  talked  and  sang 
and  told  stories,  until  it  was  time  to  go  to  bed  —  a 
simple,  wholesome,  soul-satisfying  way  of  passing 
Sunday. 

Fortunately  for  our  friends,  the  weather,  up  to 
this  time,  had  been  all  that  they  could  wish;  but 
that  night,  just  as  they  were  about  to  enter  the 
house  to  go  to  bed,  one  of  those  violent  rain  and 
wind  storms  that  frequently  sweep  over  the  western 
prairies  at  that  season,  appeared  with  such  sudden- 
ness that  it  seemed  almost  to  leap  out  of  the  western 
darkness,  and  spread  over  the  clear  skies  so  quickly 
that  the  stars  were  blotted  out,  as  if  the  hand  of 
God  had  suddenly  dropped  down  a  great  blanket. 
Never  before  had  Gideon  and  Ruth  heard  such  deep 


98  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

and  awful  thunder  as  that  which  now  rolled  and 
rumbled  and  cracked  all  around  them;  and  never 
before  had  they  seen  such  vivid  flashes  of  lightning 
as  that  which  leaped  and  zigzagged  across  the  inky 
blackness  of  the  skies.  It  was  grand,  awe  inspiring, 
terrible. 

At  first  not  a  drop  of  rain  fell,  not  a  breath  of 
air  stirred,  only  the  swift  marshaling  of  the  black 
clouds  across  the  skies  told  of  the  dread  advance 
of  the  storm.  Then  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  almost 
whipped  them  off  their  feet,  a  few  big  drops  of 
rain  fell,  and  a  sound,  as  if  billions  of  tiny  feet 
were  rushing  over  the  grass  of  the  prairie  toward 
them,  filled  the  air. 

"Intew  th'  house!"  shouted  Silas.  "That's  th' 
rain  yew  hear;  an'  it's  comin'  down  in  bucketfuls. 
Intew  th'  house,  afore  yew  git  wet  tew  th'  skin!" 

And  into  the  house  they  all  hurried,  Ruth  cling- 
ing tremblingly  to  her  mother  and  Mrs.  Clay  with 
an  anxious  hand  on  Big  Tom's  arm,  just  as  the 
bottom  of  the  clouds  seemed  to  fall  out  and  the 
rain  poured  down  on  the  roof  above  their  heads 
and  beat  against  the  sides  of  the  house  in  torrents. 
A  lighted  candle  on  the  table  dimly  illuminated  the 
inky  blackness  of  the  room. 

"  Mercy  on  us !  What  a  wind ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Clay,  still  clinging  to  the  arm  of  her  husband. 
"  Hope  'twon't  blow  the  house  down  on  top  of  our 
heads,"  and  she  glanced  apprehensively  around  the 
little  enclosure. 

"  No  danger,"  laughed  Big  Tom,  confidently.  "  Si 


Unexpected  Guests  99 

and  I  set  the  corner  posts  too  deep  in  the  ground 
for  anything  short  of  a  regular  hurricane  to  pull 
them  out.  But  just  listen  to  that  rain!  Sounds 
as  if  someone  had  pulled  the  plug  out  of  the  bottom 
of  the  heavenly  watertank  for  sure.  Well,  if  the 
roof  don't  leak  now,  it  certainly  is  rain  proof.  Let's 
have  a  look,"  and,  picking  up  the  candle,  he  passed 
slowly  around  the  room,  holding  the  candle  above 
his  head  and  closely  examining  the  roof  for  leaks. 

"Not  a  leak!"  he  declared,  with  triumph,  when 
his  survey  was  completed.  "Let  her  rain!  Who 
cares?  We  are  snug  and  dry.  Blow,  you  winds, 
blow,  you  can't  hurt  us !  Blow  and  rain,  we're  dry 
and  safe!  Say,  but  we  did  do  a  good  job  on  that 
roof,"  and  he  turned  a  well-satisfied  face  to  Silas. 

"We  shore-—" 

Silas  stopped  abruptly  and  instinctively  one  hand 
shot  out  and  caught  up  his  long-barreled  rifle,  which 
stood  leaning  against  the  side  of  the  house  near 
where  he  was  standing. 

Big  Tom  whirled  swiftly  about  and  faced  ques- 
tioningly  the  door's  only  barricade,  a  strong  blanket, 
his  right  hand  gripping  the  handle  of  an  ax. 

Mrs.  Clay  dropped  the  quilt  she  was  about  to 
spread  over  one  of  the  beds  and  turned  a  whitening 
face  in  the  same  direction. 

Gideon  seized  his  rifle  and  fixed  his  startled  eyes 
on  the  blanket-door. 

Ruth  uttered  a  frightened  cry  and  ran  to  her 
mother  and  clung  tremblingly  to  her. 

For  a  moment  all  stood  thus,  staring  at  the  blan- 


ioo  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

ket  that  shut  out  the  night  and  the  storm  and 
listening  intently. 

Without,  the  rain  still  beat  down  on  the  roof 
and  sides  in  torrents,  the  wind  cried  and  moaned 
and  shrieked  and  hurled  itself  furiously  against  the 
house  and  the  heavy  thunders  rolled  and  growled 
in  the  black  distance. 

Then,  suddenly,  there  came  a  flash  of  lightning 
so  vivid  it  made  the  room  as  light  as  day,  almost 
instantly  followed  by  a  crashing  crack  of  thunder 
that  seemed  to  jar  the  very  ground  on  which  they 
stood. 

"  Gosh ! "  Big  Tom  exclaimed.  "  That  must  have 
struck  near!  I  —  " 

Again,  at  that  moment,  from  out  the  darkness 
and  the  storm,  came  the  sound  that  had  so  startled 
all,  only  this  time  it  was  louder,  nearer,  as  if  it 
came  from  just  outside  the  blanket  that  closed  the 
door  —  a  weird,  wailing,  and  moaning  sound  that 
seemed  hardly  human,  coming  from  out  the  black 
mystery  of  that  wild  night. 

No  one  stirred.  All  stood  listening,  their  eyes 
intent  on  the  blanketed  door,  wondering  what  it 
was  that  was  out  there  in  the  blackness  and  the 
storm. 

Now  there  came  a  sudden  lull  in  the  storm.  The 
thunders  were  still  and  the  wind,  for  a  moment, 
ceased  to  blow;  and,  in  that  moment  of  silence, 
from  out  the  darkness  of  the  night,  once  more  came 
that  shrill  wail,  sounding  loud  and  high  in  the  still- 
ness and  ending  in  a  queer  gurgling  noise  that 


Unexpected  Guests  101 

caused  Mrs.  Clay  to  start  forward  with  a  cry  of 
astonishment  and  compassion. 

"  Mercy  on  us !  A  baby,  here  in  this  wilderness ! 
And  out  there  in  that  darkness  and  storm!"  and 
the  good  woman  started  impulsively  toward  the 
door. 

"Wait,"  and  the  hand  of  Big  Tom  caught  her 
by  the  arm  and  thrust  her  back.  "  I  will  see  what  it 
is,"  and,  still  gripping  the  ax  in  his  hand,  he  strode 
quickly  to  the  door,  loosened  the  blanket  and  looked 
out  into  the  blackness  of  the  night  and  the  storm. 

For  a  moment  he  stood,  his  head  thrust  out 
through  the  opening  in  the  blanket,  then,  with  a 
startled  cry,  the  ax  dropped  from  his  hand  and  he 
bent  quickly  downward  and  lifted  up  into  his  arms 
the  closely  blanketed  form  of  a  woman  that  lay 
motionless  on  the  wet  ground  just  outside  the  door, 
one  hand  outstretched  toward  the  blanket  that  hung 
between  her  and  shelter. 

"Quick!"  cried  Mrs.  Clay.  "Lay  her  on  the 
bed,"  and  she  hurried  to  his  assistance,  her  heart 
filled  with  compassion  and  anxiety.  "  Help  get  this 
blanket  off,"  she  said,  the  moment  Big  Tom  laid 
the  unconscious  form  down  on  the  bed.  "Poor 
soul,  she  is  soaking  wet! "  and,  swiftly  and  tenderly 
she  began  unloosening  the  wet  blanket  that  one 
hand  of  the  woman  held  tightly  gripped  about  her 
head  and  shoulders,  while  Big  Tom  lifted  the  inert 
body  to  aid  her. 

"  Mercy !  I  knew  I  heard  a  baby !  Quick,  Ruth, 
bring  the  candle,"  and  Mrs.  Clay  tenderly  lifted 


102  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

out  from  under  the  blanket,  where  it  had  been  held 
securely  and  warmly  to  the  unconscious  woman's 
bosom,  a  baby  not  more  than  two  or  three  months 
old. 

Ruth  hurried  to  her  mother  with  the  candle,  while 
Silas  and  Gideon  crowded  close  to  the  bed,  anxious 
to  see  these  waifs  that  had  come  to  them  so  mys- 
teriously from  out  the  darkness  and  the  storm. 

The  moment  the  light  fell  on  the  woman's  face 
all  started. 

"  A  squaw ! "  cried  Mrs.  Clay,  in  astonishment. 
"  Mercy  on  us !  How  came  she  here,  with  a  little 
baby  in  her  arms?" 

"Is  she  dead?"  queried  Ruth,  her  voice  trem- 
bling just  a  little  with  excitement  and  awe. 

"No,  I  think  not.  Here,  take  the  baby,"  and 
Mrs.  Clay  handed  the  baby  to  Ruth,  and  bent  anx- 
iously over  the  Indian  woman.  "  She  has  only 
fainted,"  and  she  straightened  up;  "but  I  fear  she 
must  be  hurt  someway.  See,  she  is  coming  to  her 
senses." 

The  Indian  woman  moved  restlessly,  moaned; 
then  her  eyes  opened  and  stared  blankly  up  into 
the  white  faces  crowding  around  her.  Suddenly 
she  clasped  both  hands  to  her  bosom  and  a  wild, 
terrified  look  came  into  her  eyes  and  she  started 
up  from  the  bed. 

"  Quick,  her  baby ! "  cried  Mrs.  Clay. 

Ruth  hurried  to  the  bedside,  the  little  Indian 
baby  held  tenderly  in  her  arms. 

At  sight  of  her  baby  all  the  fear  and  the  wild- 


Unexpected  Guests  103 

ness  left  the  Indian  woman's  eyes  and  face  and, 
with  a  glad  mother  cry,  she  stretched  out  both  hands 
for  her  child  and,  clasping  the  little  form  close  to 
her  bosom,  sank  back  on  the  bed  and  lay  quiet,  snug- 
gling the  baby  up  to  her  and  every  now  and  then 
lifting  her  black  eyes,  questioningly,  wonderingly, 
to  the  white  faces  around  her.  Evidently  she  was 
trying  to  think  it  all  out  —  how  she  and  her  baby 
came  to  be  in  the  white  man's  wigwam,  lying  on 
the  white  man's  bed. 

"  Mercy  me !  There's  not  a  dry  rag  on  the  woman 
or  the  baby !  Here,  you  men,  get  over  to  the  other 
end  of  the  room,"  and  Mrs.  Clay  turned  peremp- 
torily to  the  men  folks;  "and  keep  your  backs 
toward  us  until  we  tell  you  to  look.  I  am  going 
to  get  some  dry  clothes  on  this  poor  soul  and  her 
child,  before  both  of  them  catch  their  deaths  a-cold. 
Ruth,  bring  me  one  of  my  old  dresses  and  some  of 
baby's  clothes,"  and,  vigorously  motioning  the  men 
to  clear  out,  the  good  woman  turned  solicitously 
to  the  stoical  woman  on  the  bed,  whose  bright  black 
eyes  had  been  fixed  intently  on  her  face  while  she 
had  been  speaking. 

The  two  men  and  Gideon  at  once  went  to  the 
other  end  of  the  room,  while  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth 
removed  the  Indian  woman's  and  her  baby's  wet 
garments  and  replaced  them  with  dry  clothes.  Once 
they  heard  a  cry  of  pain,  quickly  suppressed,  fol- 
lowed by  the  exclamation,  "Land  sakes!  One  of 
her  feet  and  ankles  is  swollen  almost  double ! "  from 
Mrs.  Clay.  A  moment  later  she  called  to  Big  Tom : 


104  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"  See  if  you  can't  start  a  fire.  We  must  have  hot 
water.  The  poor  soul  has  broken  her  leg  or 
sprained  her  ankle  something  terrible." 

In  one  corner  of  the  room  was  a  pile  of  dry  fire- 
wood, brought  there  for  the  special  purpose  of 
keeping  it  dry;  and  it  did  not  take  Big  Tom  long 
to  have  a  fire  burning  brightly.  Then  he  drove  a 
forked  stick  down  into  the  ground  on  each  side  of 
the  fire,  laid  a  green  pole  in  the  crotches,  filled  an 
iron  kettle  with  water  and  hung  it  from  the  pole 
over  the  fire. 

By  this  time  the  Indian  woman  and  her  baby 
were  dressed  in  dry  clothes,  and  Mrs.  Clay  called 
to  the  men  to  come  and  have  a  look  at  her  swollen 
foot  and  ankle. 

The  Indian  woman  lay  on  the  bed,  clothed  in 
one  of  Mrs.  Clay's  dresses,  her  right  foot  and  ankle 
uncovered.  Ruth,  who  was  charmed  with  the  wee, 
mahogany-colored  mite  of  humanity,  had  the  baby 
again  in  her  arms. 

Big  Tom  and  Silas  stepped  close  to  the  bed  and 
examined  the  swollen  foot  and  ankle. 

"  Great  Moses !  I  should  say  it  was  a  bad 
sprain ! "  exclaimed  Big  Tom,  the  moment  his  eyes 
rested  on  the  swollen  limb.  "How  hurt?"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  swollen  ankle. 

"  Slip  on  rock,"  answered  the  squaw,  her  bright 
eyes  on  Big  Tom's  face.  "No  break  —  sprain." 

Then  she  went  on,  in  her  abbreviated,  broken 
English,  to  relate  how  she  had  started  to  go  to  the 
village  of  her  people,  a  half -day's  walk  to  the  north, 


Unexpected  Guests  105 

and  had  slipped  on  a  loose  stone  and  fallen  down  a 
steep  bank  and  hurt  her  foot;  but,  for  her  baby's 
sake,  she  had  managed  to  keep  moving.  When  the 
storm  came  she  was  in  despair,  not  for  her  sake, 
but  for  her  baby's,  and  had  struggled  on  blindly, 
desperately,  until,  worn  out  with  pain  and  exhaus- 
tion, she  would  have  sunk  down  where  she  was, 
had  not  her  eyes  that  moment  caught  sight  of  the 
dull  glow  of  the  candlelight  shining  through  the 
blankets  that  protected  the  open  side  of  the  half- 
faced  camp.  She  had  just  strength  enough  left  to 
reach  the  camp,  where  a  sudden  wrench  of  her 
ankle  had  caused  her  such  intense  pain  that  she 
had  fallen  in  a  faint,  her  outstretched  hand  almost 
touching  the  blanket  that  meant  safety  to  her  baby. 
For  herself  she  did  not  care.  She  was  strong  and 
could  stand  pain  and  exhaustion  and  exposure.  But 
the  baby  was  only  "two  moons "  old  and  the  rain 
and  the  chill  of  the  night  might  kill  it — A  tale  of 
mother  heroism  simply  told. 

"An'  yew  limpt  'long  for  hours  on  that  thai- 
foot,  a-carryinj  that  yunk?"  and  Silas  stared  down 
at  the  swollen  foot  and  ankle.  "Yew  shore  are 
clean  grit,  plumb  through,"  and  his  eyes  turned 
admiringly  to  the  face  of  the  squaw. 

By  this  time  the  water  in  the  kettle  was  suffi- 
ciently heated,  and  Mrs.  Clay,  who  was  well-skilled 
in  the  rude  surgery  of  the  frontier,  as,  indeed,  all 
pioneer  women  had  to  be,  bathed  the  swollen  foot 
and  ankle  in  hot  water  and  carefully  bandaged  them. 
The  moment  she  ceased  her  ministering  to  the  hurt 


io6  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

limb,  the  young  mother  —  she  was  but  little  more 
than  a  girl  —  with  a  sigh  of  utter  exhaustion,  sank 
back  on  the  bed  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  sound 
asleep. 

"Now  just  look  at  that  little  tike!"  and  Mrs. 
Clay  turned  from  the  bed  to  where  Ruth  sat,  the 
little  Indian  baby,  dressed  in  a  long  white  gown, 
on  her  lap,  his  black  eyes  staring  wonderingly 
straight  up  into  her  face,  his  fat  little  cheeks  and 
lips  puckered  up  into  a  smile,  and  one  chubby  little 
fist  gripping  tightly  one  of  her  fingers. 

"  O  Ma,  ain't  he  cute  ?  "  and  Ruth  lifted  a  flushed 
face  to  her  mother. 

"He  is  that,"  answered  Mrs.  Clay,  bending  and 
lifting  the  little  form  up  into  her  arms.  "  Now," 
and  she  smiled,  "shall  we  trade  little  sister  for 
him?" 

"  No,"  and  Ruth's  eyes  turned  quickly  and  affec- 
tionately to  the  cradle,  where  her  little  baby  sister 
lay  happily  sleeping.  "  He's  cute  and  I'd  like  to 
keep  him,  if  —  if  he'd  always  stay  little;  but  he 
won't,  and,  some  day,  he'll  grow  up  into  a  big  ugly 
Indian,  and,  maybe,  want  to  scalp  me.  I  could 
never  love  him  like  I  do  sister,"  and  she  hurried  to 
the  cradle  and  bent  and  lovingly  kissed  one  of  the 
sweet  dimpled  cheeks. 

"Love  him  as  well  as  sister!  Well,  I  should 
hope  not!"  and  Mrs.  Clay  smiled  at  the  impossi- 
bility of  the  thought  of  any  one,  who  knew  her 
baby,  ever  loving  any  other  baby,  white  or  Indian, 
quite  as  well.  "  Now,  I'd  better  lay  the  youngster 


Unexpected  Guests  107 

near  his  mother,  so  that,  if  she  wakes  up  during 
the  night,  she  can  find  him,"  and,  improvising  a 
crib  out  of  an  empty  box,  she  placed  it  on  the  ground 
close  to  the  bedside  of  the  sleeping  mother  and 
tenderly  tucked  the  baby  away  in  it. 

"I  know  I've  seen  her  afore,"  Silas  said,  when, 
after  Mrs.  Clay  had  placed  the  Indian  baby  in  his 
rude  crib,  our  friends  had  gathered  to  talk  over 
the  strange  guests  that  the  night  and  the  storm  had 
brought  them.  "I  kin't  'zackly  place  her;  but  I 
know  I've  seen  her  afore.  I  — "  and,  suddenly 
jumping  to  his  feet,  he  picked  up  the  candle  and, 
going  to  the  bed,  bent  over  the  sleeping  woman  and 
carefully  studied  her  face  for  a  moment  "I 
knowed  I'd  seen  her,"  and  he  returned  to  the  anx- 
ious little  group.  "  She's  one  of  Black  Hawk's 
wimen.  Leastwise  I  saw  her  in  Black  Hawk's  camp 
'bout  six  months  ago.  Th'  whites  called  her  Bright- 
eyes.  She's  from  one  of  th'  Indian  villages  to  th' 
north." 

"  You  don't  reckon  Black  Hawk  and  his  warriors 
are  camped  near?"  Big  Tom  could  hardly  keep 
his  apprehension  from  sounding  in  his  voice  as  he 
turned  quickly  to  Silas. 

"  No."  Silas  shook  his  head  positively.  "  She's 
jest  on  her  way  back  tew  her  folks  tew  show  'em 
th'  yunk,  like  she  said  she  was.  'Tain't  nuthin'  for 
Indian  wimen  tew  travel  short  distances  alone  like 
that.  Now,"  and  Silas  yawned,  "  'sposin'  we  go 
tew  bed  an'  dream  over  it.  I'm  gittin'  powerful 
sleepy,  now  that  th'  excitement  is  over." 


io8  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"  Reckon  you  three  men'll  have  to  bunk  together," 
smiled  Mrs.  Clay. 

"All  right/'  laughed  Big  Tom.  "We'll  put  Gid 
in  the  middle,  so  he  won't  fall  out." 

"  Like  you  did  this  morning,"  grinned  Gideon. 

All  laughed,  and  Big  Tom  shook  his  fist  threat- 
eningly at  the  chuckling  Silas,  who  had  already 
started  for  the  bed  in  the  farther  end  of  the  room, 
whither  he  was  promptly  followed  by  Gideon  and 
his  father. 

By  this  time  the  violence  of  the  storm  had  passed 
and  had  settled  down  into  a  steady  rain  that  pattered 
softly  on  the  roof  over  their  heads.  For  many 
minutes  after  the  snores  of  his  father  and  Silas 
told  him  that  they  were  sound  asleep,  Gideon  lay 
awake,  listening  to  this  patter-patter  of  the  rain 
and  thinking  over  the  strange  occurrences  of  the 
night;  but,  at  last,  his  weariness  overcame  him  and 
his  tired  eyes  closed  in  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   TOTEM   OF   BLACK    HAWK 

TV/I  RS.  CLAY  was  the  first  one  out  of  bed  the 
•*•*-*-  next  morning. 

"  Hush ! "  she  cautioned  the  others.  "  Be  as  quiet 
as  possible.  She  is  still  sound  asleep,"  and  her  eyes 
turned  pityingly  to  the  bed  where  Brighteyes,  the 
young  Indian  squaw,  lay,  one  hand  outstretched 
toward  the  rude  crib  in  which  slept  and  dreamed 
her  baby.  "  Poor  soul,  she  was  completely  tuckered 
out!"  and  the  good  woman  began  to  busy  herself 
about  her  morning's  work,  moving  around  as  noise- 
lessly as  possible  and  casting  frequent  anxious 
glances  toward  the  bed  and  the  crib  where  her  dusky 
guests  lay  sleeping. 

The  moment  Ruth  awoke  she  hurriedly  climbed 
out  of  bed,  vigorously  rubbing  the  sleepy  seeds  out 
of  her  eyes  as  she  did  so. 

"Is  — is  the  little  Indian  baby  still  here?"  she 
asked,  glancing  eagerly  around  the  room;  "or  did 
I  dream  —  Oh,  it  is  true!"  she  cried,  joyously,  as 
she  caught  sight  of  Brighteyes,  still  sound  asleep 
on  the  bed. 

"Hush,  hush!"  warned  her  mother;  "or  you 
will  awaken  them." 

"O,  I  just  must  have  a  peek  at  the  baby!"  and 
she  tiptoed  across  the  room  and  bent  over  the  rude 

109 


no  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

crib.  In  a  moment  she  straightened  up,  her  eyes 
shining,  and  beckoned  violently  for  her  mother  to 
come. 

Mrs.  Clay  hurried  to  her  side,  fearful  that  some- 
thing might  have  happened  to  her  little  guest;  but 
the  moment  she  looked  down  into  the  crib  her  face 
broke  into  smiles. 

The  night  had  been  warm  and  the  Indian  baby 
had  kicked  off  all  the  clothing  that  Mrs.  Clay  had 
carefully  tucked  around  him,  and  now  lay  covered 
only  by  the  white  gown,  out  from  the  bottom  of 
which  peeked  two  fat  little  brown  feet,  while  both 
chubby,  dimpled  fists  lay  doubled  up  on  the  little 
bosom.  The  bright  little  black  eyes  were  closed  in 
sleep;  and,  as  Mrs.  Clay  looked,  a  dream-smile 
parted  the  baby  lips  and  wrinkled  the  plump  brown 
cheeks. 

"Oh,  but  isn't  he  cute?"  Ruth  whispered,  ecstat- 
ically. "I'd  just  love  to  — " 

At  that  moment  the  baby  yawned  and  stretched 
himself,  making  a  queer  little  gurgling  noise,  and, 
opening  his  eyes,  stared  straight  up  into  the  white 
faces  above  him. 

"Can  I  —  can  I  take  him  up?"  and  Ruth's  eager 
arms  reached  down  toward  the  baby. 

"Yes,"  smiled  Mrs.  Clay;  "but  you  must  be 
careful  so  as  not  to  make  him  cry  and  awaken  his 
mother.  He  is  not  used  to  being  handled  by  white 
folks." 

The  bright  little  black  eyes  of  the  Indian  baby 
fixed  themselves  wonder ingly  on  the  face  of  Ruth,  as 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk  in 

she  bent  eagerly  forward  to  lift  him  out  of  the  box. 
Evidently  he  was  trying  to  figure  out,  in  his  baby 
mind,  whether  or  not  it  would  be  safe  to  let  those 
advancing  white  hands  touch  him;  and,  evidently, 
he  concluded  that  it  would  not,  for,  just  before 
the  hands  reached  him,  the  little  mouth  opened  wide 
and  let  out  an  astonishingly  loud  howl  for  such  a 
little  fellow. 

"No  take!  — No  touch!"  and  the  startled  Ruth 
found  herself  staring  into  the  fiercely  glowing  eyes 
of  the  Indian  mother,  who  had  awakened  from  a 
sound  sleep  at  the  first  sound  of  her  baby's  cry  and 
sprung  up  in  bed,  and  now  sat  glaring  wildly  around 
the  strange  room.  But,  in  a  moment,  she  remem- 
bered what  had  happened  and  where  she  was.  The 
wild,  frightened  look  left  her  eyes  and  she  smiled 
and  nodded  to  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  and  stretched 
out  her  arms  for  her  baby. 

Mrs.  Clay  lifted  the  infant,  still  yelling  lustily, 
out  of  the  box  and  placed  him  in  his  mother's  arms. 

Brighteyes  snuggled  the  baby  to  her  bosom  and 
began  chanting  a  tender-sounding  Indian  lullaby; 
and,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  little  rascal  lay  cooing 
happily  in  her  lap. 

Ruth  had  been  badly  frightened  by  the  fierce 
look  that  had  sprung  into  the  Indian  mother's  eyes 
when  suddenly  awakened  from  sleep  by  the  cry  of 
her  baby;  but  it  did  not  take  the  jovial  face  and 
winsome  ways  of  Brighteyes  long  to  allay  this  fear, 
and  soon  Ruth  was  sitting  on  the  bed  by  Bright- 
eyes'  side,  with  her  baby  sister  in  her  arms,  and 


ii2  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  two  were  comparing  babies,  born  under  such 
different  circumstances  and  with  such  dissimilar 
racial  inheritances. 

"  More  hair,"  and  Brighteyes  pointed  proudly  to 
the  thick  crop  of  coal-black  hair  on  her  baby's  head. 
"More  fat  cheeks,"  and  she  tenderly  pinched  one 
of  them.  "  He  make  great  warrior  when  grow  big, 
like  my  father,"  and  her  eyes  lighted  with  ancestral 
pride. 

"  Yes-s,"  admitted  Ruth.  "  He  does  have  more 
hair  on  his  head  and  his  cheeks  are  fatter ;  but  sister 
has  two  teeny  weeny  teeth.  Look ! "  and  she  gently 
parted  the  baby's  lips  and  exhibited  the  precious 
teeth  to  the  admiring  gaze  of  Brighteyes. 

Then  they  laid  the  two  babies  side  by  side  on  the 
bed,  and  laughed  delightedly  at  their  queer  antics. 
Brighteyes  was  almost  as  much  of  a  girl  in  her  ac- 
tions as  was  Ruth;  and,  before  an  hour  had  gone 
by,  the  two  were  fast  friends.  The  babies  had 
broken  down  all  racial  barriers  between  them. 

The  morning  had  dawned  clear  and  bright  and 
clean,  after  Dame  Nature's  vigorous  washing  of  the 
night  before;  and,  when  Brighteyes  saw  that  day- 
light had  come  and  the  storm  had  ceased,  she  in- 
sisted that  she  must  now  be  on  her  way  to  her 
people.  But  Mrs.  Clay  smiled  and  shook  her  head. 
She  pointed  to  the  bandaged  and  swollen  ankle  and 
tried  to  make  Brighteyes  understand  that  it  would 
be  impossible  for  her  to  walk  and  carry  her  baby 
and  that  both  of  them  were  most  welcome  to  stay 
until  she  could  use  her  foot  in  comfort  and  in  safety. 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk  113 

Brighteyes,  however,  declared  that  her  foot  "no 
hurt  much,"  and  that  she  could  walk  all  right  "  with 
stick,"  and,  to  prove  it,  she  rose  from  the  bed  and, 
placing  both  feet  on  the  floor,  attempted  to  stand. 
But  the  instant  she  pressed  the  weight  of  her  body 
on  the  hurt  ankle  the  pain  was  so  great  that  even 
her  stoical  Indian  blood  could  not  prevent  a  sharp 
cry  of  agony. 

"There,  now,  what  did  I  tell  you?"  and  Mrs. 
Clay  hurried  to  her  side.  "  No  use  trying  to  walk. 
Just  lie  down  and  keep  quiet  for  a  few  days,"  and 
she  helped  her  back  on  the  bed,  "and  you  will  be 
all  right.  But,"  shaking  her  head  emphatically,  "  no 
trying  to  walk  on  that  foot  until  it  is  fit  to  walk  on, 
or  you'll  be  laid  up  for  months." 

Brighteyes  unresistingly  allowed  herself  to  be 
helped  and  said  no  more  about  going,  to  the  great 
delight  of  Ruth,  who  had  been  completely  charmed 
by  the  brown  little  Indian  baby  and  his  girllike 
mother. 

The  storm  of  the  night  before  had  left  the  ground 
so  wet  that  Big  Tom  was  obliged  to  postpone  the 
plowing  he  had  hoped  to  start  that  morning  until 
the  next  day. 

"  Well,  it's  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  good," 
he  laughed,  when  he  came  into  the  house,  after 
having  taken  stock  of  the  doings  of  the  storm. 
"The  ground  is  too  wet  for  plowing,  and  so  I'll 
make  you  those  brush  brooms  that  you're  wanting," 
and  he  smiled  down  into  Mrs.  Clay's  face.  "  Gid 
and  Si  have  taken  their  rifles  and  have  gone  on  a 


ii4  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

hunt  for  deer  meat,  so,  I  reckon,  you  can  calculate 
on  having  venison  to  cook  for  dinner.  How's  the 
foot  ?  "  He  turned  abruptly  to  the  Indian  girl,  who 
lay  on  the  bed,  with  the  two  babies  kicking  and 
crowing  by  her  side  and  Ruth  seated  near. 

"  Heap  hurt."  Brighteyes  glanced  up  a  bit  shyly 
at  the  big  deerskin-clothed  man.  "  No  can  walk. 
White  squaw  make  lie  on  bed.  No  let  go/' 

"Well,  I  should  say  not,  not  with  that  foot  and 
that  little  yunk,"  Big  Tom  declared,  heartily.  "  You 
are  welcome  to  our  grub  and  roof  just  as  long  as 
you  can  stand  white  folks'  ways  of  living.  They 
sure  are  cute,"  and  he  grinned  down  at  the  two 
babies.  "Want  to  sell  him?"  and  he  pointed  one 
big  finger  at  the  brown  little  Indian  baby.  "Heap 
fine  boy.  Give  cow  for  him." 

"  No  —  no !  No  sell ;  not  for  cow ;  not  for  gold. 
He  my  ba-be ! "  and  the  Indian  woman's  eyes  flamed 
with  outraged  motherhood. 

"  Well,  no  harm  done,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "  I 
reckon  babies,  red  and  yellow  and  white,  are  all 
the  same  to  their  mothers.  Dad  wouldn't  sell  you 
for  the  biggest  cow  that  ever  walked,  with  a  wagon- 
load  of  gold  thrown  in,  would  he,  Miss  Skeeziks  ?  " 
and  he  chucked  his  own  baby  under  the  chin. 

"  Me  no  like  ask  sell  ba-be,"  Brighteyes  declared, 
solemnly,  still  regarding  Big  Tom  doubtfully. 

"Don't  blame  you,"  grinned  Big  Tom.  "He's 
a  mighty  promising  chunk  of  Indian  devilment." 

For  a  moment  the  bright  black  eyes  regarded  him 
questioningly,  as  if  doubtful  whether  or  not  the 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk  115 

words  should  be  considered  complimentary;  then, 
apparently  satisfied,  the  solemn  face  lighted  with 
smiles. 

"  Some  day,  when  grow  big,  he  make  great  war- 
rior, like  my  father."  She  laid  one  hand  proudly 
on  the  dusky  forehead  of  her  baby.  "  Make  all 
his  enemies  tremble." 

"Hope  he  never  gives  this  little  one  cause  to 
tremble,"  and  the  big  man  bent  tenderly  over  his 
baby. 

"No,  no."  The  face  of  Brighteyes  shone  with 
gratitude.  "  He  no  make  friends  tremble.  Be  like 
strong  oak  to  them — protect." 

"  Bully  for  him,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "  Well,  just 
make  yourself  to  home.  You  sure  are  welcome. 
Now  I  must  be  getting  after  that  brush  for  those 
brooms."  Taking  his  rifle  from  its  pegs  and  pick- 
ing up  a  small  ax,  Big  Tom  hurried  off  toward  the 
woods  to  cut  the  brush  for  the  brooms. 

In  a  couple  of  hours  he  was  back,  with  a  bundle 
of  straight  willow  shoots,  each  a  little  larger  around 
than  a  lead  pencil  and  some  three  feet  long. 

The  construction  of  the  brooms  was  a  very  simple 
task.  First  he  smoothed  off  a  handle  out  of  a 
straight  piece  of  wood,  about  four  feet  long  and  as 
large  around  as  a  girl's  wrist.  Then  he  took  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  the  willow  shoots  to  make  a 
broom-sized  bundle,  carefully  arranged  them  so  that 
their  small  ends  were  even,  evened  the  other  ends 
by  cutting,  inserted  one  end  of  the  prepared  handle 
in  their  center,  and  tightly  bound  them  to  it  with 


n6  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

strong  thongs  of  deerskin.  The  result  was  a  broom 
capable  of  doing  effective  work,  when  wielded  by 
a  strong-armed  pioneer  woman,  especially  on  dirt 
floors. 

Big  Tom,  seated  on  a  chair  a  few  feet  in  front 
of  the  house,  was  working  on  his  third  broom  when 
he  heard  a  distant  halloo. 

"  Sounds  like  Gid,"  he  thought,  looking  up  from 
his  work. 

Half  a  mile  away,  coming  down  the  side  of  a 
little  hill  toward  him,  he  saw  a  couple  of  horsemen, 
followed  closely  by  two  men  on  foot.  It  needed 
but  a  glance  to  tell  Big  Tom  that  the  two  horsemen 
were  Indians;  but,  at  first,  he  could  not  tell  who 
or  what  the  two  footmen  were,  so  closely  did  they 
keep  behind  the  horses.  Then  the  shorter  of  the 
two  ran  out  from  behind  the  horses  and  waved  his 
cap  and  yelled;  and  he  recognized  Gideon. 

"Company!"  he  called  cheerfully  to  Mrs.  Clay, 
who  was  at  work  in  the  house. 

"  For  the  land  sakes,  who  can  it  be  ?  "  and  Mrs. 
Clay,  followed  by  Ruth,  hurried  out  of  the  house. 

"Indians!"  she  exclaimed,  the  moment  she  saw 
the  two  horsemen. 

"There's  Gid!"  cried  Ruth,  excitedly. 

"And  Si!"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Clay,  as  the  old 
hunter  stepped  out  from  behind  one  of  the  advanc- 
ing horses  where  he  could  be  seen. 

"And  they've  got  the  deer  meat,"  declared  Big 
Tom,  with  satisfaction.  "  See  that  buck  on  the 
horse,  back  of  one  of  the  Indians?" 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk  117 

When  the  little  company  were  within  a  few  rods 
of  the  house,  Gideon  again  broke  into  a  run  and 
raced  up  to  where  his  father  and  mother  and  Ruth 
were  standing. 

"It's  Great  Thunder  and  Storm  Cloud,"  he 
panted,  the  moment  he  reached  home.  "  Si  knows 
them.  They've  come  for  Brighteyes.  Great  Thun- 
der is  her  husband.  They  were  looking  for  her 
when  they  heard  our  shots  and  hurried  up  to  see 
if  we  knew  anything  about  her.  Oh,  Dad,  I  killed 
the  finest  buck  you  ever  saw!  Great  Thunder  has 
him  on  the  horse  back  of  him." 

"  Shot  him  on  th'  run,  tew,  by  Jinks !  As  purty 
a  shot  as  I  ever  seed  fired.  Yew're  shore  born  for  a 
hunter,"  and  Silas,  who  at  that  moment  came  up 
with  the  Indians,  slapped  the  excited  boy  approv- 
ingly on  the  back. 

The  two  Indians  at  once  jumped  from  their 
horses. 

"Where  squaw  and  papoose?"  Great  Thunder 
queried,  as  soon  as  the  brief  greetings  were  over, 
his  eyes  turning  anxiously  toward  the  blankets  that 
inclosed  the  open  side  of  the  half -faced  camp. 

"  In  there."  Big  Tom  pointed  to  the  blankets. 
"Walk  right  in.  She's  busted  her  ankle  and  can't 
walk,"  and,  going  to  the  blankets,  he  pulled  one 
aside  and  motioned  Great  Thunder  to  enter. 

There  was  a  little  joyous  cry  from  Brighteyes, 
followed  by  a  rapid  interchange  of  Indian  words, 
as  Great  Thunder  entered.  After  some  ten  min- 
utes he  came  out,  gravely  thanked  Mr.  and  Mrs, 


n8  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Clay,  as  best  he  could  with  his  broken  English,  for 
the  shelter  and  the  care  they  had  given  his  wife  and 
baby,  and  informed  them  that  now  he  would  take 
his  family  home  with  him,  since  Brighteyes  could 
ride  on  his  horse  without  hurt  to  her  ankle. 

"  But  not  until  after  dinner,"  protested  Mrs.  Clay, 
hospitably.  "You  must  stay  and  have  some  of 
that  fine  buck  you  brought  in  on  the  back  of  your 
horse.  I'll  have  the  dinner  ready  in  a  jiffy.  Get  a 
hot  fire  going,"  and  she  turned  to  Big  Tom. 

The  two  Indians,  with  grunts  of  satisfaction,  ac- 
cepted Mrs.  Clay's  invitation;  and,  when  the  dinner 
was  ready,  did  ample  justice  to  the  white  squaw's 
cooking,  pronouncing  all,  especially  the  venison, 
"heap  good." 

After  dinner  they  sat  and  smoked  their  pipes  and 
talked  with  Big  Tom  and  Silas  for  an  hour,  while 
Mrs.  Clay  rebandaged  the  sprained  ankle  of  the 
Indian  woman  and  protected  it,  as  best  she  could, 
for  the  long  horseback  ride. 

Ruth,  when  it  came  time  for  Brighteyes  to  go, 
was  almost  in  tears,  so  deeply  had  she  become  at- 
tached to  the  little  brown  baby  and  his  young 
mother;  and  Brighteyes  herself  showed  that  she 
felt  strongly  the  kindness  of  her  white  friends. 
When  Great  Thunder  came  in  to  carry  her  out  and 
place  her  on  the  horse,  Brighteyes  bade  him  wait 
a  moment  and,  calling  Ruth  to  her,  unclasped  from 
her  neck  a  small,  quaintly- formed  silver  chain,  from 
which  hung  pendent  a  black  stone  rudely  carved  in 
the  shape  of  a  hawk;  and,  after  holding  the  little 


"  My  father's  totem,"  she  said  proudly.    "  Keep  all  time 
on  neck  " 


The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk  119 

black  hawk  up  for  her  husband  to  see,  she  placed 
the  chain  around  the  neck  of  Ruth. 

"My  father's  totem,"  she  said,  proudly,  holding 
the  pendant  reverently  in  the  palm  of  her  hand. 
"He  great  chief,  Black  Hawk.  No  Indian  dare 
harm  White  Lily"  (the  name  she  had  given  Ruth) 
"  now  totem  of  great  chief,  Black  Hawk,  on  neck. 
Keep  all  time  on  neck.  Brighteyes  never  forget 
kindness  of  white  friends." 

For  a  moment  she  sat  silent  on  the  edge  of  the 
bed,  both  hands  uplifted,  as  if  she  were  invoking 
the  blessings  and  the  protection  of  the  Great  Spirit 
for  that  household;  then,  with  a  final  look  around 
the  rude  room  and  upon  the  faces  of  her  benefac- 
tors, she  turned  to  Great  Thunder. 

"Brighteyes  ready,"  she  said. 

Great  Thunder  gently  carried  Brighteyes,  with 
the  baby  in  her  arms,  out  of  the  house,  placed  her 
on  his  horse  and  sprang  up  on  the  back  of  the  horse 
behind  her. 

Storm  Cloud,  with  a  final  shake  of  the  hands  of 
his  white  friends,  mounted  his  horse,  and  the  three 
Indians  rode  slowly  off,  without  a  backward  glance, 
until  they  reached  the  summit  of  a  little  hill  a  mile 
away.  There,  clearly  outlined  against  the  blue  of 
the  sky,  they  halted,  turned  on  their  horses'  backs, 
and  waved  a  last  farewell  to  their  white  friends. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  DAY  OF  THE  FIRST  PLOWING 

T  ONG  before  sunrise  the  next  morning  Big  Tom 
*^  was  up,  getting  everything  in  readiness  to 
begin  the  plowing  of  this  untamed  wilderness  soil; 
and  by  the  time  the  sun  rose  above  the  low  hills 
to  the  east,  the  oxen  were  hitched  to  the  huge  plow 
and  all  was  ready  for  the  start. 

That  was  a  great  moment  for  the  pioneers,  the 
moment  when  the  sharp  point  of  the  plow  descended 
for  the  first  time  into  the  wild  soil  of  the  never- 
before-plowed  prairie  —  their  own  land!  All  were 
there  to  witness  and  to  celebrate  the  occasion,  even 
to  the  baby,  held  warmly  in  Mrs.  Clay's  protecting 
arms. 

Four  yoke  of  strong  oxen  stood  ready,  hitched 
to  the  plow.  Big  Tom  held  the  plow  handles.  Silas, 
with  long-lashed  ox  whip  in  his  hand,  stood  a  little 
to  the  left  of  the  oxen,  waiting  the  word  to  start. 
Gideon  and  Ruth  stood  just  behind  the  plow,  eager 
to  pounce  upon  the  first  sod  turned  by  the  mold- 
board,  a  small  bottle  held  in  the  hands  of  each,  into 
which  a  little  of  the  dirt  of  this  first  sod  was  to  be 
placed  and  ever  afterward  kept  as  a  cherished  me- 
mento of  the  beginning  of  their  wilderness  home. 
Mrs.  Clay,  with  the  baby  held  close  in  her  arms, 
stood  by  the  side  of  her  husband. 

120 


The  Day  of  the  First  Plowing  121 

"  Here's  to  good  luck  in  our  new  home  and  a 
good  crop  from  our  new  land!"  and  Big  Tom 
turned  quickly  and  bent  and  kissed  his  wife  and 
baby.  "  Ready,  Si ! "  he  called,  and  gripped  the 
plow  handles  tightly  with  his  two  muscular  hands. 

"  Git  up ! "  yelled  Silas,  and  the  long  lash  of  his 
whip  cracked  above  the  heads  of  the  oxen. 

The  oxen  started  slowly,  their  yokes  creaking  as 
they  were  drawn  tight  against  the  animals'  breasts 
and  around  their  necks. 

Big  Tom  jerked  the  plow  handles  upward  and 
the  sharp  blade  of  the  colter  cut  through  the  thick, 
tough  sod.  The  plow  point  plunged  downward,  and 
slowly,  like  a  great  black  snake,  the  sod  curved 
upward  and  back  along  the  moldboard  and  fell  to 
the  ground,  the  rich-looking  black  soil  uppermost. 
The  children  both  jumped  to  secure  a  handful  of 
the  dirt  first  turned.  Gideon's  fingers  struck  some 
hard  substance  embedded  in  the  sod.  He  dug  it 
out,  and  found  in  his  hand  a  piece  of  the  brainpan 
of  a  human  skull,  with  the  sharp  point  of  a  stone 
arrowhead  piercing  the  bone  and  projecting  into 
the  brain  cavity  for  half  an  inch! 

For  a  moment  the  boy  stared  uncomprehendingly 
at  this  relic  of  a  long-ago  prairie  tragedy;  then, 
when  he  realized  what  it  was  that  he  held  in  his 
hand,  he  uttered  a  yell  of  boyish  surprise  that  caused 
Silas  to  halt  the  oxen  and  Big  Tom  to  turn  quickly 
to  him. 

"  Look !  See  what  I  have  found ! "  he  shouted, 
"  and  in  the  very  first  sod  turned  over  by  the  plow ! " 


122  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Holding  the  piece  of  skull  up  so  all  could  see,  he 
ran  to  his  father. 

Big  Tom  took  the  bone  and  examined  it  and  the 
embedded  arrowhead  carefully. 

"Reckon  it's  Indian/'  he  said,  turning  to  Silas, 
who  had  hurried  up  and  was  now  standing  by  his 
side.  "And  the  Lord  only  knows  how  long  ago 
that  arrowhead  was  driven  into  the  living  brain. 
Well,  he  sure  is  a  dead  Indian  now;  and  dead  In- 
dians can  harm  nobody."  He  handed  the  bone  to 
Silas. 

"Yes,  he  shore  is  dead,"  meditated  Silas,  taking 
the  piece  of  skull  and  turning  it  over,  and  squinting 
one  eye  at  the  arrowhead.  "Dead  as  Methusla, 
thanks  tew  that  arrerhead.  But  it  sartin  is  a  kurus 
find  tew  make  in  th'  fust  sod  turned  over  by  th' 
plow.  Sort  o'  symbolic,  I  reckon,  o'  th'  fate  o' 
th'  Injuns  an'  sech  thing  as  goes  with  Injuns,  now 
that  th'  white  man  has  come  with  his  plow  tew  turn 
their  very  bones  out  o'  their  graves  an'  tew  plant 
their  huntin'  grounds  tew  corn.  Wai,  every  dog 
has  his  day;  an'  th'  Injun,  I  reckon,  has  'bout  had 
his.  It  sartin  is  a  kurus  find !  What  are  yew  goin' 
tew  dew  with  it?  'Taint  much  o'  an  orniment,"  and 
he  turned  to  Gideon. 

"Keep  it,"  declared  Gideon,  emphatically,  "just 
as  long  as  I  live.  It's  a  hundred  times  better  me- 
mento of  our  first  plowing  than  a  bottle  of  dirt 
would  be." 

"But  it  is  such  a  ghastly  thing,"  objected  his 
mother. 


The  Day  of  the  First  Plowing  123 

"  And  maybe  the  Indian's  ghost  might  haunt  us," 
warned  Ruth. 

"Pshaw!"  laughed  Gideon.  "It's  only  a  piece 
of  bone  with  a  stone  arrowhead  sticking  into  it, 
with  nothing  ghastly  or  ghostly  about  it;  and  'twill 
make  a  right  curious  memento  and  I  am  going  to 
keep  it.  Can't  I,  Dad?" 

"Yes,  'twon't  harm  nothing,  and  it  is  curious. 
Take  it  to  the  house  and  hurry  back.  Now  let's 
get  busy,"  and  Big  Tom  turned  to  his  plow  handles, 
while  Silas,  handing  the  broken  skull  bone  to 
Gideon,  swung  the  long  lash  of  his  whip  around 
his  head  and  yelled  to  the  oxen. 

Gideon  ran  to  the  house  with  the  piece  of  Indian 
skull  and,  leaving  it  in  a  safe  place,  hurried  back, 
anxious  to  see  what  else  the  sharp  point  and  mold 
board  of  the  plow  would  turn  up. 

The  whole  of  that  day  Gideon  and  Ruth  fol- 
lowed close  behind  the  plow,  their  eager  eyes  on 
the  furrow,  searching  for  the  queer  things  that  this 
first  plowing  was  constantly  turning  up.  Now  it 
was  a  snake,  wiggling,  frightened  and  startled,  out 
from  under  the  crumbling  dirt  of  the  turning  sod, 
or  a  hideously  ugly  ground  grub,  crawling  over 
the  black  dirt,  or  the  nest  of  a  field  mouse  or  mole, 
possibly  with  babies  in  it,  or  a  queer  stone,  or  the 
flint  head  of  an  Indian  arrow  —  always  the  plow 
was  throwing  up  something  to  keep  them  interested 
and  excited. 

Once  it  brought  to  the  surface  a  bumblebee's  nest. 
Then  there  were  exciting  times  for  all,  even  the 


124  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

oxen,  for  a  few  minutes,  while  the  heroic  bees  at- 
tempted to  repel  the  ruthless  monsters  that  had  in- 
vaded their  home. 

Ruth  ran,  screaming,  away  at  the  first  charge  of 
a  buzzing  bee;  but  Gideon  valiantly  jerked  off  his 
coonskin  cap  and  beat  the  bees  down  with  it,  one 
by  one. 

A  detachment  of  the  bees  also  attacked  Big  Tom 
and  Silas  and  the  oxen;  and,  for  a  moment,  there 
was  a  bad  mix-up  of  struggling  oxen,  yelling  men 
and  buzzing  bees;  but,  finally,  the  coonskin  caps 
of  the  men  prevailed  and  the  bees  were  slain  or 
routed,  and  the  oxen  quieted  down  and  straightened 
out  of  the  tangle  into  which  they  had  twisted 
themselves  in  their  efforts  to  get  away  from  the 
bees. 

The  victors  now  took  stock  of  their  injuries. 
One  heroic  bee,  before  death  overtook  him,  had 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  tip  of  Silas's  nose,  with 
the  result  that  Silas's  already  large  nose  was 
beginning  to  take  on  monumental  proportions.  Big 
Tom  had  been  stung  once  on  the  under  lip.  Gideon 
had  a  rapidly  swelling  right  ear,  as  the  result  of 
his  having  missed  a  swipe  with  his  cap  at  one  angry 
bee. 

"Don't  see  why  that  tarnal  bee  picked  out  th' 
end  o'  my  nose/'  complained  Silas,  as  he  tenderly 
fingered  the  inflamed  end  of  that  useful  organ, 
when  the  excitement  had  quieted  down  and  each 
was  considering  his  injuries. 

"  Reckon  'twas  because  'twas  the  most  prominent 


The  Day  of  the  First  Plowing  125 

point  in  sight,"  grinned  Big  Tom,  as  well  as  he 
could  with  his  swollen  lip. 

"Better  not  dew  eny  grinnin.'  with  that  lip,  or 
yew'll  bust  it,"  retorted  Silas.  "It's  most  big 
enough  tew  sot  down  on  already." 

"  Shucks !  Neither  one  of  you  has  got  anything 
on  my  ear,"  laughed  Gideon.  "It  feels  as  big  as 
a  barn  door." 

"Tew  th'  victors  belong  th'  spiles,"  suddenly, 
proclaimed  Silas,  bending  down  and  picking  up  a 
brownish,  sticky  mass,  about  twice  the  size  of  two 
doubled-up  fists,  the  nest  of  the  conquered 
bumblebees.  "Have  a  drink,"  and,  breaking  off 
one  of  the  little  wax  cells,  of  which  the  nest  was 
largely  composed,  he  handed  it  to  Gideon. 

"Me,  too!"  and  Ruth,  now  that  the  buzzing 
bees  were  slain,  hurried  up.  "I  want  some  of  the 
honey,  too." 

"But  you  did  not  fight.  You  ran  away," 
protested  Gideon. 

"  Well,  I  cheered  when  the  bumblebee  stung  your 
ear,"  laughed  Ruth.  "That  was  a  sharp 
bumblebee." 

"  Yes,  one  end  of  him,"  admitted  Gideon  ruefully, 
rubbing  his  swollen  ear. 

"  But  you  killed  him !  And  you  did  not  run,  not 
even  when  he  stung  you.  That  was  really  why  I 
cheered." 

"You  shall  have  the  honey  for  that,"  laughed 
Gideon.  "  Pass  her  a  cup,  Si." 

"Take  it  all.     We've  no  more  time  tew  suck 


126  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

honey."  Silas  handed  the  sticky  cluster  of  honey- 
loaded  cells  to  Ruth,  and,  picking  up  his  ox  whip, 
soon  had  the  sturdy  team  pulling  the  plow  through 
the  tough  sod  again. 

Ruth  took  the  dirty-looking,  sticky  mass  of  honey 
cells  somewhat  gingerly;  and  she  and  Gideon 
squatted  down  on  the  grass  and  proceeded  to 
extract  their  honey  by  the  simple  process  of 
breaking  open  the  cells  and  sucking  the  honey  out 
of  them.  The  honey  was  delicious;  bumblebees' 
honey  always  is,  especially  if  you  have  helped  to 
rob  the  nest;  and  Gideon  and  Ruth  did  not  move 
until  they  had  sucked  the  last  cell  dry.  Then  they 
again  hurried  after  the  plow. 

Thus,  with  many  exciting,  amusing  and  always 
interesting  incidents,  the  day,  the  great  day  of  the 
first  plowing  of  their  wild  prairie  land,  passed. 

That  black,  upturned  earth  marked  the  beginning 
of  the  end  of  the  wilderness. 

The  pioneer's  rifle,  ax,  plow !  What  a  debt  we  of 
this  generation  owe  to  these  rude  but  effective  tools 
of  the  westward  march  of  civilization ! 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  KILLING  OF  OLD  WHITENOSE 

'T^HURSDAY  morning,  the  day  Gideon  and 
-*•  Silas  were  to  go  with  Old  Man  Kellogg  on 
the  great  bear  hunt,  dawned  without  a  threatening 
cloud  in  the  sky.  The  night  before  Gideon  had 
cleaned  and  oiled  his  rifle,  sharpened  his  hunting 
knife,  filled  his  powder  horn,  and  helped  Silas  mold 
enough  bullets  to  fill  both  their  bullet  pouches,  so 
that  everything  was  in  readiness  to  start  the 
moment  they  had  eaten  their  early  breakfast. 

"Hope  you  get  Old  Whitenose  this  time,"  Big 
Tom  said,  as  Silas  and  Gideon  arose  from  the 
table,  pulled  their  coonskin  caps  down  on  their 
heads,  and  picked  up  their  rifles.  "If  you  don't, 
reckon  Martha  and  I  will  have  to  shoulder  our 
guns  and  go  out  and  get  him.  Right,  Martha?" 
The  grin  on  his  face  broadened  as  he  turned  to 
his  wife. 

"  Yes,  we  certain  will,"  answered  Mrs.  Clay, 
smiling.  "And  I'm  sure  no  white-nosed  bear,  or 
bear  with  another  kind  of  a  nose  could  disappear 
right  before  my  eyes,  without  my  knowing  where 
he  went.  Now,  do  be  careful,"  and  she  turned  a 
bit  anxiously  to  Gideon.  "  Don't  get  too  close  to 
the  bear  until  your  are  sure  he  is  dead.  Dad  got 
clawed  terribly  once  by  a  bear  that  he  thought 
was  dead." 

127 


128  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"All  right,  Mother,"  laughed  Gideon,  as  he 
slung  powder  horn  and  bullet  pouch  over  his 
shoulder.  "I'll  be  powerful  careful  not  to  get 
near  enough  to  Old  Whitenose  for  him  to  claw 
me,  until  I  am  sure  he  is  dead." 

"Better  wait  'til  yew  find  Old  Whitenose  afore 
yew  kill  him,"  admonished  Silas,  as  he  hitched 
up  his  belt  and  tightened  it  another  hole.  "That 
thar  b'ar  ain't  no  last  year's  cub;  an'  I  reckon 
we'll  be  in  luck  if  we  git  within  shootin'  distance 
o'  him.  But  we're  goin'  tew  try  powerful  hard, 
an'  Old  Man  Kellogg'll  have  his  dogs  with  him. 
Ready?"  and  he  turned  to  Gideon. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  boy,  his  face  flushing  and 
his  eyes  sparkling  with  the  excitement  of  the 
thought  that  at  last  he  was  actually  about  to  start 
out  on  the  big  hunt  —  and  with  Silas  Wegg! 

"Then,  for'erd  —  march!  as  th'  militia  captain 
used  tew  say,"  and  Silas  flung  the  long  barrel  of 
his  rifle  up  on  his  shoulder.  "  So-long,  folks.  Hope 
tew  have  Old  Whitenose's  hide  when  we  see  yew 
ag'in.  Come  on,  Gid."  With  a  final  good-by 
wave  of  his  hand  he  was  off,  striding  along  at  a 
gait  that  caused  the  shorter  legs  of  Gideon  almost 
to  run  in  order  to  keep  by  his  side. 

"How  far  is  it  to  the  Little  Spouter,  where  we 
are  to  meet  Old  Man  Kellogg?"  Gideon  asked, 
when  they  had  waved  their  last  farewells  to  Big 
Tom  and  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  and  had  passed  out 
of  sight  over  the  brow  of  a  little  hill. 

"'Bout  five  miles,"  Silas  answered. 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  129 

"And  how  far  from  there  to  the  Big  Swamp, 
where  we  are  to  begin  our  hunt?" 

"  'Bout  'nuther  five  miles.  We  otter  make  it  in 
less'n  three  hours.  Promised  Old  Man  Kellogg 
I'd  be  at  th'  Leetle  Spouter  afore  th'  sun  was  an 
hour  high,  which  means  that  we'll  have  tew  jog 
'long  some  lively,"  and  Silas  glanced  toward  the 
east,  which  was  beginning  to  redden  with  the  first 
rays  of  the  rising  sun.  "  How's  yewr  walkers  ?  " 
Good  for  th'  present  rate  o'  speed?" 

"  Shucks,  yes."  Gideon's  face  flushed  at  the  idea 
that  Silas  thought  a  little  jaunt  like  this  might 
tucker  him.  "  I've  walked  faster  and  further  than 
this  with  dad  without  getting  tuckered.  Do  you 
think  we  can  find  the  trail  of  Old  Whitenose?" 

"I  reckon  we  kin,  if  them  dogs  o'  Old  Man 
Kellogg  are  eny  good.  Now,  jest  fall  in  ahind  me. 
Yew'll  find  it  easier  walkin'  through  th'  thick 
grass  an'  brush  that  way.  Thar  ain't  no  reg'lar 
trail  from  here  tew  th'  Leetle  Spouter." 

For  nearly  an  hour  Silas  and  Gideon  walked  on, 
without  slacking  their  speed  or  pausing;  then,  on 
the  summit  of  a  little  hill,  Silas  halted  and  pointed 
across  the  prairie  to  where  a  fringe  of  willow 
trees  grew  along  the  base  of  a  rocky  ridge  that 
jutted  up  above  the  level  of  the  prairie  half  a 
mile  away. 

"Thar's  th'  Leetle  Spouter,  right  thar  in  that 
clump  o'  willers,"  he  said.  "  An'  I  reckon  Old  Man 
Kellogg,  with  his  dogs,  is  in  thar  right  now,  settin' 
on  a  log  near  th'  spring  a-waitin'  us.  Leastwise 


130  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

that's  whar  he  said  he'd  be.  Now  let's  see  if  th' 
dogs  will  nose  us  afore  we  git  tew  th'  willers.  Th' 
wind's  right.  Walk  right  ahind  me  an'  make  as 
leetle  noise  as  possible.  No  talkin',"  and  Silas 
started  off  toward  the  willows,  with  Gideon  follow- 
ing close  behind  him,  both  making  their  way 
through  the  thick  grass  of  the  prairie  as  noiselessly 
as  two  Indians. 

But  before  they  had  covered  half  of  the  distance 
intervening  between  them  and  the  willows,  a  man, 
holding  back  two  dogs  straining  at  their  leash, 
suddenly  emerged  from  the  willow  clump,  and  stood 
looking  in  their  direction. 

"Gosh!  Thar  he  is!"  exclaimed  Silas.  "Th' 
dogs  did  smell  us  out  an'  have  got  sense  enough 
tew  keep  from  barkin'.  Reckon  they'll  dew. 
Hi-o-oo,  thar ! "  he  called,  and  took  off  his  cap 
and  swung  it  around  his  head. 

Old  Man  Kellogg  sent  back  an  answering  shout; 
and  in  a  few  minutes,  Gideon  and  Silas  stood  by 
his  side. 

"The  old  thief  got  another  of  my  pigs  last 
night!"  were  the  first  words  of  Old  Man  Kellogg, 
as  Gideon  and  Silas  hurried  up.  "But  he  won't 
get  another,"  and  he  brought  the  butt  of  his  rifle 
down  on  the  ground  with  a  jar.  "  Now,  who  have 
we  here  ?  "  He  turned  his  eyes  to  Gideon. 

"  He's  th'  son  o'  Big  Tom  Clay.  Yew've  heered 
me  tell  o'  Big  Tom  Clay,  th'  feller  that  purty  nigh 
busted  me  in  tew  in  a  wrestlin'  match,"  explained 
Silas. 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  131 

"  I  certain  have,"  answered  Kellogg.  "  What's 
he  doing  in  these  parts  ?  " 

"  Coin'  tew  settle,  'bout  five  miles  north  o'  here." 

"Well,  he  sure  is  welcome.  So  be  you,"  and 
Old  Man  Kellogg  turned  to  Gideon.  "  Come  'long- 
to  help  Silas  and  me  get  Old  Whitenose  —  the 
thieving  old  rascal!  —  have  you?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Gideon.  "  Do  you  think  we 
will  get  him  ?  "  he  added  eagerly. 

"Get  him,"  Old  Man  Kellogg's  jaws  came 
together  with  a  snap.  "  You're  durned  right  we'll 
get  him.  Do  you  think  I'll  let  him  steal  every  last 
pig  I've  got,  right  from  under  my  very  nose, 
without  getting  his  concerned  old  hide  to  pay  for 
them?  I'd  be  ashamed  to  look  another  pig  in  the 
face  if  we  let  that  old  pork  stealer  get  away  from 
us  again.  Get  him?  You  can  bet  your  last  coon- 
skin  we'll  get  him,  if  it  takes  a  month." 

Evidently,  as  Silas  would  say,  Old  Man  Kellogg 
was  considerably  "  het  up  "  over  the  latest  depreda- 
tions of  Old  Whitenose  and  intended  that  they 
should  be  his  last. 

The  Little  Spouter  was  famous  for  its  pure  cool 
water;  and,  consequently,  before  starting  for  the 
Big  Marsh,  all  sought  the  spring  to  "load  up,"  as 
Silas  put  it,  with  its  water. 

As  soon  as  Gideon  saw  the  spring  he  understood 
why  it  was  called  the  Little  Spouter.  Near  the  foot 
of  the  rocky  ridge  and  about  as  high  as  a  man's 
head  was  a  narrow  fissure  in  a  huge  rock,  out  of 
which  spouted  a  little  stream  of  ice-cold  water  that 


132  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

fell  into  a  small  basin  which  it  had  hollowed  out 
of  the  rock,  and  then,  overflowing  the  basin, 
wandered  away  in  a  tinkling  brooklet  fringed  with 
willows. 

All  drank  their  fill  of  the  cool  water. 

"Now,"  Old  Man  Kellogg  said,  as  they  turned 
from  the  spring,  "  we'll  get  on  the  trail  at  once ;  and 
if  them  fool  dogs  lose  it  again,  I'll  be  durned  if 
I  don't  shoot  both  of  them.  Tain't  far  to  where 
the  old  thief  stopped  to  eat  my  pig  last  night. 
We'll  start  from  there/'  and,  holding  the  dogs  in 
leash,  he  led  the  way. 

About  a  mile  from  the  spring  Old  Man  Kellogg 
halted  near  a  little  clump  of  bushes.  The  dogs  now 
began  to  show  great  excitement,  straining  at  their 
leash,  jumping  excitedly  toward  the  little  clump  of 
bushes,  and  uttering  low,  wrathful  growls. 

"  Right  in  there,"  Kellogg  pointed  to  the  bushes, 
"  is  all  that  is  left  of  my  pig,  just  his  bones.  Burn 
the  old  thief!  Now,  let's  get  after  him  like  the 
Day  of  Judgment,"  and,  still  keeping  hold  of  the 
leash,  he  followed  the  dogs  into  the  bushes. 

Near  the  center  of  the  clump  of  bushes  was  a 
little  pile  of  bones,  with  some  of  the  bloody  flesh 
still  adhering  to  them,  plainly  indicating  the  spot 
where  Old  Whitenose  had  stopped  to  enjoy  the 
spoils  of  his  raid.  The  dogs  now  became  almost 
wild  with  eagerness  to  be  off  on  the  trail  of  the  bear. 

"  Reckon  I'd  better  hold  them  back  until  we  get 
almost  to  the  swamp,"  Kellogg  said,  taking  a  tighter 
grip  on  the  leash. 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  133 

"Yes,"  agreed  Silas,  who  had  been  carefully 
examining  the  spot  where  the  bones  lay.  "  I  don't 
believe  th'  trail's  mor'n  half  an  hour  old.  Looks 
as  if  th'  old  devil  had  taken  a  nap  here,  atter  gittin' 
his  fill  o'  pig.  Shouldn't  wonder  if  yewr  comin' 
'long  with  th'  dogs  had  routed  him  out.  We  might 
run  on  tew  him  afore  we  git  tew  th'  swamp.  Now, 
let's  git  a-goin'.  Jest  give  th'  dogs  th'  lead  an'  all 
we'll  have  tew  dew'll  be  tew  foller  'em." 

The  two  dogs  needed  no  urging  to  take  the  trail 
of  the  bear;  and,  with  noses  close  to  the  ground, 
they  hurried  along  as  fast  as  the  restraining  leash 
would  allow  them  to  go,  pulling  Old  Man  Kellogg 
after  them  in  a  half  trot.  Silas  and  Gideon  followed 
in  single  file  close  behind  him.  It  was  easier  to 
travel  thus  through  the  thick  grass  of  the  prairie. 

For  nearly  an  hour  they  followed  the  dogs,  whose 
eager  noses  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  to  the  trail 
of  the  bear. 

"Better  see  if  yewr  primin's  all  right,"  Silas 
turned  his  head  and  glanced  back  at  Gideon. 
"We're  gittin'  near  tew  th'  Big  Swamp.  Th'  old 
rascal's  headed  straight  for  th'  identickle  old  log 
whar  I  lost  him  afore,"  he  added  a  moment  later. 

"And  where  I  lost  him  afore,"  joined  in  Old 
Man  Kellogg.  "  But  where  I  won't  lose  him  again, 
if  these  dogs  are  any  good  —  Hi!  Look  out!" 

As  he  spoke  both  dogs  made  so  violent  a  lurch 
forward  that  they  nearly  pulled  him  off  his  feet, 
at  the  same  time  giving  voice  to  deep-throated, 
angry  growls. 


134  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Silas  and  Gideon,  their  rifles  held  ready  to  throw 
instantly  to  their  shoulders,  stepped  out  from 
behind  Old  Man  Kellogg,  their  eyes  eagerly 
searching  the  ground  to  the  front  of  them. 

For  about  fifty  rods  the  prairie  lay  level,  then 
rose  in  a  low  snakelike  ridge,  at  the  base  of  which 
grew  a  fringe  of  brush  and  small  trees. 

"Keep  yewr  eyes  on  th'  brush,"  Silas  warned. 
"I  reckon  he's  —  " 

"  Hi !  There  he  is ! "  cried  Old  Man  Kellogg,  as 
a  huge  black  bear  slowly  raised  himself  on  his 
hind  legs  from  behind  a  low  clump  of  bushes  and 
deliberately  turned  and  looked  at  them. 

Gideon's  heart  gave  a  great  thump  at  sight  of 
the  bear,  the  famous  bear  with  a  white  nose,  and 
he  instinctively  threw  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder;  but 
he  did  not  shoot.  The  distance  was  too  great  to 
chance  a  shot. 

"Turn  loose  th'  dogs!  Turn  th'  dogs  loose!" 
yelled  Silas,  starting  on  the  run  toward  the  bear. 

Old  Man  Kellogg  quickly  slipped  the  leash;  and 
the  two  dogs,  with  eager,  savage  growls,  sprang 
to  the  chase,  followed  by  Gideon  and  the  two  men. 

The  bear  stood  for  a  minute  watching  them ;  and 
then,  as  the  dogs  drew  near,  slipped  down  uncon- 
cernedly on  his  four  feet  and  ran  up  the  side  of 
the  ridge  and  disappeared  over  its  top,  not  as  if 
he  were  frightened,  but  as  if  he  had  satisfied  his 
curiosity  and  did  not  care .  to  linger  longer. 

The  dogs  were  not  five  rods  behind  the  bear 
when  he  passed  over  the  top  of  the  ridge;  and  a 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  135 

minute  later,  their  loud  yelps  and  snarls,  mingled 
with  the  deeper  growls  of  the  bear,  told  our  friends 
that  the  hounds  had  caught  up  with  Old  Whitenose. 

"Hurry,  or  he'll  git  away  from  th'  dogs  afore 
we  kin  git  a  shot  at  him ! "  cried  Silas,  racing  toward 
the  sounds  of  the  conflict,  his  long  legs  at  once 
placing  him  in  the  lead. 

Gideon  did  his  best  to  keep  up  with  him,  and  so 
swiftly  did  the  excited  boy  run  that  when  Silas 
reached  the  top  of  the  ridge,  he  was  not  ten  feet 
behind. 

The  ridge  sloped  steeply  downward  for  a  couple 
of  rods.  Then  came  fifty  yards  of  level  ground, 
ending  in  a  second  low  ridge  that  separated  it  from 
the  swamp  beyond.  Along  the  side  and  top  of  this 
ridge  grew  a  few  scattered  trees  and  thin  patches 
of  brush,  but  the  intervening  ground  was  clear. 

At  the  foot  of  this  second  ridge  Gideon  saw  the 
bear,  standing  on  his  hind  legs,  with  the  two 
hounds  snarling  and  jumping  around  him,  but  being 
very  careful  not  to  get  within  reach  of  those 
powerful  claw-armed  paws.  The  bear  was  facing 
Gideon  and  he  could  plainly  see  the  curious  white 
nose  that  had  given  him  his  name. 

"Hurrah!"  he  shouted,  as  he  raced  down  the 
ridge  after  Silas.  "  The  dogs  are  holding  him." 

But,  even  as  Gideon  spoke,  the  bear,  with  a 
glance  in  the  direction  of  the  running  men,  dropped 
down  on  his  four  feet,  turned  his  back  contemp- 
tuously on  the  two  dogs  and  trotted  up  the  ridge, 
swinging  his  head  from  side  to  side  as  he  ran,  the 


136  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

dogs  rushing  him  so  closely  that  the  hunters  did 
not  dare  chance  a  shot  for  fear  of  hitting  one  of 
them. 

"Hurry,"  yelled  Silas,  "or  th'  old  devil  will  git 
intew  th'  swamp  afore  we  kin  git  a  shot  at  him," 
and  he  raced  across  the  level  ground  and  up  the 
ridge  at  a  speed  that  left  Gideon  and  Old  Man 
Kellogg  many  feet  in  the  rear. 

When  Gideon,  greatly  excited  and  panting  from 
his  exertions,  reached  the  top  of  this  second  ridge, 
to  his  astonishment,  he  saw  Silas  standing  stock- 
still  near  the  fallen  trunk  of  a  huge  tree,  staring 
at  the  two  dogs.  The  dogs  stood  growling  and 
whimpering  in  the  edge  of  a  pond  of  marsh  water. 

The  bear  had  vanished ! 

"Th'  identickle  spot  whar  I  lost  him  afore!" 
Silas  turned  an  astonished  face  to  Gideon  and  Old 
Man  Kellogg.  "When  I  reached  th'  top  o'  th' 
ridge,"  he  explained,  "  thar  stood  th'  dogs  a-whinin' 
an'  a-growlin'  in  th'  edge  o'  th'  water,  th'  same  as 
yew  see  'em  now;  but  th'  b'ar  —  great  horned 
buffelers !  we  ain't  yunks  tew  let  no  old  white  nose 
b'ar  fool  us  like  this ! "  and  he  brought  the  butt  of 
his  rifle  down  on  the  ground  with  a  thud.  "Th' 
b'ar's  jest  naterly  got  tew  be  here,  'less  he's  taken 
wings  an'  flyed  away  or  turned  intew  a  fish  an'  is 
a-swimmin'  round  under  th'  water,  'cause  thar 
ain't  no  other  place  fer  him  tew  be,  as  I  kin  see," 
and  his  eyes  swept  the  surrounding  country. 

Almost  directly  in  front  of  them  lay  the  pond, 
its  banks  fringed  with  short  reeds,  while  its  deeper 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  137 

waters  were  clear  from  all  surface  vegetation. 
Beyond  that  stretched,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see, 
the  Big  Marsh.  But  the  pond  was  far  too  wide  for 
the  bear  to  have  swum  across  before  the  hunters 
came  in  sight  of  its  waters;  and  there  certainly 
was  not  now,  nor  had  there  been,  the  head  of  a 
swimming  bear  showing  above  its  quiet  surface. 
The  trunk  of  the  fallen  tree  was  plenty  large 
enough  for  the  bear  to  have  crawled  inside  of  it, 
but  so  far  as  they  could  discover,  there  was  not  a 
visible  entrance  anywhere  along  its  huge  bulk  big 
enough  for  anything  larger  than  a  coon  to  enter. 
The  tree  had  fallen  many  years  before  and  now 
the  rotting  log  lay  down  the  slant  of  the  bank  that 
sloped  somewhat  steeply  to  the  waters  of  the  pond, 
its  lower  end  extending  out  into  the  water.  About  it 
the  water  grass  and  reeds  grew  thick,  but  its  trunk 
showed  clear  until  it  seemed  to  disappear  under 
the  water.  A  fringe  of  short  water  grass  and 
reeds  grew  along  the  banks  of  the  pond;  but  it  did 
not  seem  possible  that  the  bear  could  have  hidden 
in  them.  The  ground  between  the  ridge  and  the 
pond  was  open,  offering  no  place  of  concealment 
for  so  large  an  animal  as  Old  Whitenose.  Then 
there  were  the  two  dogs,  growling  and  whimpering 
in  the  edge  of  the  water.  Evidently,  from  their 
actions,  the  bear  had  plunged  into  the  pond  and 
disappeared;  but  how,  and  where? 

"Gosh!  This  gets  me!"  and  the  eyes  of  Old 
Man  Kellogg  followed  the  eyes  of  Silas,  as  they 
slowly  searched  the  still  surface  of  the  pond,  its 


138  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

reedy  banks,  the  great  rotting  log  and  the  open 
ground  between  the  pond  and  the  ridge.  "  But,  as 
you  say,  it  stands  to  reason  that  the  bear  must  be 
here,  unless  he  has  turned  into  a  fish  or  a  bird. 
Them  tarnal  dogs  ought  to  have  followed  him  into 
the  water,  'stead  of  standing  there  growling  and 
whimpering,  as  if  they  were  afraid  of  getting  their 
toes  wet.  I've  a  notion  to  whale  the  hide  off  them. 
Well,  let's  see  what  they  are  whining  about."  He 
hurried  down  the  bank  to  where  the  two  dogs 
stood,  followed  by  Silas  and  Gideon. 

It  needed  but  a  glance  of  their  experienced  eyes 
to  tell  them  that  the  bear  had  plunged  into  the 
pond  at  the  spot  where  the  two  dogs  stood  and 
swam  through  the  fringe  of  vegetation  out  into  the 
clear  water  beyond.  But  what  had  become  of  him 
then?  How  had  he  disappeared  so  quickly  and  so 
completely  ? 

"Th'  cunnin'  old  devil  must  be  lyin'  low  some- 
whar  in  th'  reeds  an'  water  grass,"  declared  Silas, 
when  his  eyes  had  searched  all  the  surroundings, 
"with  jest  his  head  above  th'  water,  'cause  thar 
ain't  no  other  place  whar  he  could  be,  'less,  as  I 
said  afore,  he's  turned  intew  a  fish  or  a  bird.  I 
reckon  if  we  cut  some  long  poles  an'  thrash  th' 
reeds  hereabouts,  we're  bound  tew  rout  him  out." 

"  Good  idea,"  agreed  Old  Man  Kellogg. 

The  narrow  fringe  of  grass  and  reeds  that  here 
lined  the  shore  of  the  pond  did  not  extend  into  the 
water  at  any  place  for  more  than  a  dozen  feet  and 
did  not  rise  above  its  surface  anywhere  for  more 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  139 

than  a  foot.  But  in  places  the  reeds  and  the  grass 
grew  so  thick  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  the 
surface  of  the  water  through  them,  and  it  was  just 
possible  that  the  bear,  by  lying  with  his  body  under 
the  water,  had  concealed  himself  among  them.  If 
he  had,  the  poles  would  soon  rout  him  out. 

Silas  and  Old  Man  Kellogg  each  secured  a  pole 
about  a  dozen  feet  long;  and,  handing  their  rifles 
to  Gideon  and  bidding  him  keep  near  them  and  his 
eyes  "  peeled,"  they  both,  one  following  close  behind 
the  other,  began  "thrashing"  the  reeds  and  the 
water  grass  that  grew  along  the  margin  of  the  pond, 
beginning  at  the  trunk  of  the  big  tree,  near  which 
the  bear  had  disappeared. 

Gideon,  who  had  been  greatly  mystified  and 
chagrined  by  the  disappearance  of  Old  Whitenose, 
was  now  all  interest.  He  felt  sure  that  the  bear 
was  hiding  in  the  reeds  —  indeed,  where  else  could 
he  be?  —  and  every  time  the  hunters  whacked  their 
poles  down,  his  heart  jumped  and  his  fingers 
tightened  on  the  rifles.  He  followed  close  to  the 
men,  keeping  as  nearly  as  possible  between  the 
two,  so  that  he  could  hand  their  rifles  to  them 
quickly  should  the  blows  of  their  poles  rout  out  Old 
Whitenose. 

Whack!  —  splash!  —  whack!  went  the  poles. 
Whack!  —  splash!  —  whack!  again  and  again  and 
always  in  vain,  until,  after  an  hour's  whacking  and 
splashing  up  and  down  the  bank  of  the  pond  on 
both  sides  of  the  old  log,  the  two  disgruntled  and 
bewildered  men  were  forced  to  conclude  that  Old 


140  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Whitenose  had  not  hidden  himself  in  the  reeds  or 
the  water  grass. 

"Wai,  I'll  be  durned  if  this  don't  teetotally  git 
me ! "  Silas  exclaimed  in  angry  disgust,  as  all  seated 
themselves  on  the  big  log  to  further  consider  the 
mysterious  disappearance  of  the  bear.  "I'm  'bout 
ready  tew  agree  with  th'  Injuns  that  Old  Whitenose 
ain't  no  mortal  b'ar,  but  jest  a  wicked  speerit  that 
takes  on  th'  form  o'  a  b'ar  tew  work  out  his 
devilments." 

"Shucks!"  protested  Old  Man  Kellogg,  "spirits 
don't  eat  pigs;  and  this  is  the  fourth  pig  of  mine 
that  Old  Whitenose  has  killed  and  eaten,  the  old 
thief!  He  must  have  swam  across  the  pond  afore 
you  got  in  sight." 

"  No  mortal  b'ar  could  have  done  it,"  Silas 
asserted  emphatically.  "  Th'  fust  thing  I  did  atter 
seein'  them  dogs  standin'  thar  in  th'  edge  o'  th'  water 
was  tew  make  sartin  thar  warn't  no  b'ar  swimmin' 
across  th'  pond.  Then  'tain't  th'  fust  time  he's 
fooled  yew  nor  me,  tew  say  nuthin'  o'  th'  Injuns, 
an'  allers  right  in  this  identickle  spot.  An'  thar's 
them  shots  o'  mine  an'  yourn  tew  account  for.  I 
sartin  never  missed  no  dead-easy  shots  like  that 
afore  an',  I  reckon,  yew  never  did  neither." 

"I  sure  never  did,"  agreed  Old  Man  Kellogg. 
"That  bear  warn't  more'n  five  rods  from  me;  but 
I'll  be  durned  if  I  didn't  make  a  clean  miss;  and 
the  bear  just  shook  his  head,  like  he'd  heered  a  fly 
buzzing  by  his  ears,  and  slid  down  ahind  this  very 
log,  and  when  I'd  loaded  my  rifle  and  ran  up  to 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  141 

the  log,  I'll  be  durned  if  I  could  find  hide  nor  hair 
of  him,  no  more  than  I  can  now.  It  sure  is  powerful 
curious,  but  'tain't  sensible  to  believe  in  spirits,  and 
I  reckon  there's  some  sensible  way  of  explaining  it 
all  when  we  get  the  rights  of  it  —  " 

"Jest  look  at  them  tew  dogs!"  Silas  suddenly 
pointed  to  the  two  hounds.  They  had  just  risen 
from  the  ground,  where  they  had  been  lying  at  the 
feet  of  the  men,  and  now  stood,  with  hair  bristling 
along  their  backs  and  necks,  growling  and  whim- 
pering, their  legs  trembling  so  that  their  bodies 
shook.  "They  shore  look  an'  act  as  if  they  seed 
speerits." 

"Gosh!"  and  Old  Man  Kellogg  jumped  to  his 
feet,  his  rifle  held  ready  for  instant  use.  "They 
sure  smell  bear!"  His  eyes  swiftly  searched  the 
surroundings,  but  in  vain.  There  was  not  a  sign 
of  a  bear  anywhere  in  sight. 

For  a  minute  the  two  men  stood  staring  down  at 
the  dogs,  completely  dum  founded  by  the  strange 
actions  of  the  hounds;  then  a  sudden  and  unex- 
pected wild  yell  from  Gideon  caused  both  of  them  to 
jump  about  a  foot  straight  up  in  the  air. 

Gideon,  who  had  been  keenly  disappointed  by  the 
failure  to  find  Old  Whitenose,  had  seated  himself 
on  the  log  a  little  apart  from  the  two  men  and 
nearer  to  the  water,  and  had  been  trying  very  hard 
to  think  out  some  way  to  account  for  the  mysterious 
disappearance  of  the  bear.  But  the  more  he  had 
thought,  the  more  difficult  and  mysterious  the 
problem  had  appeared.  He  could  discover  no 


142  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

reasonable  way  of  accounting  for  the  strange 
disappearance  of  Old  Whitenose,  and  as  he  sat 
there  listening  to  the  two  men  narrating  their  queer 
experiences  with  this  same  bear  and  at  this  same 
spot,  a  creepy-crawly,  shivery  sensation  had  begun 
climbing  up  and  down  through  his  spinal  marrow. 
What  if  Old  Whitenose  really  were  an  evil 
spirit,  such  as  the  Indians  thought  him  ?  He  might, 
at  that  very  moment,  be  standing,  invisible  but 
grinning  with  triumph,  behind  him!  Gideon,  with 
a  shiver,  glanced  hastily  over  his  shoulder.  At  that 
instant  the  two  dogs  had  jumped  to  their  feet  and 
stood  growling  and  shivering  with  fright,  the  hair 
along  their  backs  and  necks  standing  straight  up. 

Gideon  turned  quickly  and  stared  down  at  the 
dogs.  They  appeared  to  be  looking  straight  at  him ! 
What  frightful  thing  did  they  see?  The  goose 
flesh  began  coming  out  all  over  his  body.  Then, 
as  he  thus  sat  in  shivering,  questioning  dread,  the 
horrified  boy  heard  a  deep,  hollow,  ghostlike,  bearish 
growl,  seemingly  coming  from  right  under  him. 
This  was  too  much  for  the  excited  condition  of 
his  nerves  and  he  leaped  off  the  big  log,  with  the 
yell  that  had  so  startled  Silas  and  Old  Man 
Kellogg. 

"  Whar?  What  is  it?"  Both  men  swung  around 
toward  Gideon,  their  cocked  rifles  half  raised  to 
their  shoulders.  But  all  they  could  see  was  the 
white- faced  boy,  staring  wildly  at  the  big  log. 

The  moment  the  thrill  of  the  sudden  fright  was 
past,  Gideon,  with  a  violent  start,  realized  what  that 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  143 

low  growling  sound  he  had  heard  coming  from 
beneath  him  as  he  sat  on  the  log  must  mean. 

"He's  in  there!  In  the  log !"  he  yelled.  "The 
big  log  is  hollow  and  he's  inside  of  it !  I  heard  him 
growl!" 

Both  men  leaped  to  the  log  where  Gideon  had 
been  sitting  and  laid  their  ears  down  close  to  it 
and  listened. 

"Gosh  a'mighty!  Th'  boy's  right!"  and  Silas 
straightened  up,  a  look  of  deep  satisfaction  on  his 
face.  "  I  heered  him  growlin'  low  an'  angrylike, 
as  if  them  dogs  was  gittin'  on  his  nerves.  Now. 
how  did  th'  old  devil  git  in  thar,  I'd  like  to  know?" 
and  he  turned  a  questioning  face  to  Old  Man  Kel- 
logg- 

"He  sure  is  in  there!"  and  Old  Man  Kellogg 
stood  up,  his  face  and  eyes  glowing  with  excitement 
and  triumph.  "  But  I  don't  care  a  durned  how  he 
got  in  there  right  now.  What  I  want  right  now  is 
to  get  at  the  old  pig  stealer."  His  eyes  ran  swiftly 
up  and  down  the  visible  length  of  the  log.  "  If  we 
had  an  ax  we  —  " 

."We  kin  burn  him  out,"  broke  in  Silas.     "Th' 
log's  dry  an'  will  burn." 

"Good  idea."  Old  Man  Kellogg's  jaws  came 
together  with  a  snap.  "  He  deserves  roasting.  Now, 
let's  get  the  fire  going." 

There  was  an  abundance  of  dry  wood  a  little 
distance  away,  and  in  a  very  short  time  Gideon  and 
the  two  men  had  a  great  pile  of  dry  wood  so 
arranged  about  the  log  that  its  burning  would  soon 


144  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

eat  a  hole  through  its  dry  walls.    Old  Man  Kellogg 
lit  the  fire. 

"Hope  it  burns  every  hair  off  your  pig-stealing 
old  body ! "  he  said  vindictively,  as  the  fire  caught 
and  the  flames  leaped  up. 

The  fire  had  been  purposely  kindled  below  the 
spot  where  Gideon  and  the  two  men  had  heard  the 
bear  inside  of  the  log,  so  as  to  cut  off  his  escape 
by  way  of  the  water,  if  that  was  the  way  he  had 
entered,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  other  way. 

The  dry  wood  burned  furiously,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  big  log  itself  was  blazing. 

"See!  Look  thar!"  suddenly  exclaimed  Silas, 
pointing  to  where  the  log  apparently  disappeared 
under  the  water  of  the  pond. 

Gideon  and  Old  Man  Kellogg  turned  quickly  and 
saw,  just  beyond  the  point  where  the  log  vanished 
in  the  midst  of  a  thick  bunch  of  short  reeds,  a  thin 
column  of  smoke  rising  above  the  surface  of  the 
pond. 

"Reckon  that'll  explain  th'  mystery,"  continued 
Silas.  "  Thar's  a  way  o'  gittin'  intew  th'  log  from 
th'  water  —  Hi!  Ho!  Gittin'  tew  hot  for  yew  in 
thar?"  and  he  turned  quickly  to  the  log,  where 
angry  growling  and  violent  scratching,  coming  from 
the  inside,  told  him  that  Old  Whitenose  was 
beginning  to  realize  the  desperate  nature  of  his 
situation. 

"Growl,  you  old  pig  stealer!  Growl  and 
scratch ! "  and  Old  Man  Kellogg  hit  the  log  a  violent 
thump  with  a  heavy  club  above  the  spot  where  the 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  145 

growling  and  the  scratching  indicated  the  presence 
of  the  bear.  "  We've  got  your  concerned  old  hide 
this  time  sure.  You'll  never  steal  another  pig." 
And  thus  giving  vent  to  his  triumph  and  satisfac- 
tion, he  continued  pounding  on  the  log  with  the 
club  above  the  head  of  the  luckless  bear  that  now, 
doubtless,  was  beginning  to  feel  the  heat  of  the  fire. 

The  bear  responded  with  angry  growls  and 
furious  scratchings  for  a  while;  then,  suddenly,  the 
growling  and  scratching  ceased. 

Silas  bent  quickly  and  placed  his  ear  down  close 
to  the  log  and  listened. 

"Th'  old  devil  is  turnin'  'round,"  he  said, 
straightening  up.  "Reckon  he's  thinkin'  on  try  in' 
tew  run  through  th'  fire  an'  out  th'  other  end  o'  th' 
log.  Pound  on  th'  log  near  th'  fire.  Maybe  that'll 
keep  him  back,"  and,  seizing  a  club,  he  and  Old 
Man  Kellogg  began  pounding  on  the  log  as  near  to 
where  it  was  on  fire  as  the  heat  permitted  them 
to  go. 

By  this  time  the  fire  had  eaten  far  into  the  log, 
and,  suddenly,  the  heavy  blows  of  the  clubs  of  the 
two  men  caused  a  huge  piece  of  the  charred  shell 
to  tumble  in.  The  next  instant,  scattering  the  fire 
in  every  direction  and  sending  up  a  great  shower 
of  sparks,  out  through  the  opening  thus  made 
plunged  Old  Whitenose,  his  fur  on  fire  and  his 
wicked  little  eyes  glowing  with  rage,  and  sprang 
straight  toward  Silas,  who  was  the  nearest. 

Silas  had  laid  down  his  rifle  while  using  a  club 
on  the  log;  so  had  Old  Man  Kellogg.  Gideon  was 


146  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  only  one  of  the  three  with  his  rifle  ready  in 
his  hands. 

Silas  had  just  time  to  utter  a  yell  of  surprise  and 
warning  and  leap  back  and  swing  his  club  when 
the  bear  was  upon  him.  The  club  fell,  but  a  blow 
of  the  great  paw  sent  it  flying  from  the  hand  of 
the  old  hunter  and  he  stood  weaponless  before  the 
infuriated  bear.  There  was  no  time  even  to  draw 
his  hunting  knife.  The  bear  was  too  close.  He 
must  try  to  ward  off  the  embraces  of  those  terrible 
arms  with  bare  hands.  But  just  as  the  hairy  arms 
were  about  to  close  round  him,  there  came  the  sharp 
crack  of  a  rifle,  a  flash  of  smoke  and  fire  before 
his  eyes,  and  the  bear,  with  a  horrible  grunting 
growl,  crumpled  up,  as  if  his  muscles  had  been 
suddenly  turned  to  soft  tallow,  and  fell  to  the 
ground,  dead,  his  ugly  head  lying  between  the  old 
hunter's  feet. 

Silas  swung  swiftly  about.  Gideon  stood  directly 
behind  him,  his  rifle  still  smoking  in  his  hand,  his 
face  white,  and  his  legs  beginning  to  tremble  so 
that  he  could  hardly  stand. 

"Gosh!"  and  Silas  caught  hold  of  the  boy's 
hand.  "Yew  got  him  that  time!  An'  jest  in  th' 
nick  o'  time.  Anuther  moment  an'  he'd  ben  crackin' 
my  ribs.  Never  knowed  a  bear  tew  move  so  lively 
afore." 

"  Blowed  the  right  eye  plumb  out  of  him  and 
most  of  his  brains,  too,  I  reckon."  Old  Man 
Kellogg  lifted  up  the  head  of  the  bear  and  glanced 
down  at  it.  "Well,  you  old  pig  stealer,  we've  got 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  147 

you  at  last  where  you'll  never  steal  another  pig! 
But,"  and  he  straightened  up,  "now  that  we've  got 
the  bear,  I  am  some  curious  to  find  out  how  he  got 
into  the  log  so  quick  and  quietlike.  Come  on.  Let's 
see  how  he  done  it."  Jumping  on  top  of  the  log 
below  the  fire,  he  walked  along  in  the  direction  of 
the  smoke  that  could  still  be  seen  rising  above  the 
surface  of  the  pond  a  little  beyond  the  spot  where 
the  log  seemed  to  disappear  under  the  water  in  the 
midst  of  a  thick  bunch  of  short  reeds. 

Silas  and  Gideon  both  followed  him,  equally 
curious  to  solve  the  mystery  that  had  so  greatly 
puzzled  them. 

"Well,  I  swun!  Just  look  there!"  Old  Man 
Kellogg  pointed  to  where  the  smoke  was  rising 
from  just  beyond  the  thick  bunch  of  short  reeds 
that  here  rose  some  six  inches  above  the  water. 
"The  log's  busted  right  off  short  and  the  smoke's 
coming  out  of  the  hollow  end!" 

"Th'  cunnin'  old  devil!"  exclaimed  Silas.  "He 
jest  swam  out  ayond  th'  reeds,  an'  then,  keepin'  his 
head  down  low,  walked  intew  th'  busted  end  o'  th' 
holler  tree  an'  kept  on  a-goin'  'til  he  was  safe  an 
dry  inside.  Thar's  jest  room  inside  th'  tree  for 
him  tew  keep  his  nose  above  th'  water;  an'  th' 
bunch  o'  reeds  hid  th'  fact  that  th'  tree  was  busted 
off  here,  'stead  o'  continuin'  under  th'  water,  as  it 
looks  as  if  it  did.  Wai,  I'm  powerful  glad  that 
mystery's  solved  an'  accordin'  tew  sense  and  reason. 
But  I  shore  would  like  tew  know  how  I  come  tew 
miss  him  twice  an'  both  on  'em  dead-easy  shots. 


148  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Let's  have  a  look  at  th'  old  devil,"  and  he  started 
back  over  the  log  toward  the  carcass  of  the  bear. 

All  now  examined  the  body  of  Old  Whitenose 
curiously.  Evidently,  from  the  appearance  of  its 
skin,  the  nose  had  once  been  badly  scalded  or 
burnt  and  white  hairs  had  grown  out  over  the  scar, 
forming  the  peculiar  white  mark  that  had  given 
the  bear  his  name. 

"  He  shore  is  a  whopper,"  said  Silas  straightening 
up,  after  having  satisfied  his  curiosity  regarding 
the  cause  of  the  white  nose.  "Never  seed  as  big 
a  b'ar  in  these  parts  afore.  Reckon  he'll  weigh 
nigh  six  hundred  pounds." 

"Reckon  he  will,"  answered  Old  Man  Kellogg, 
"  Now,  let's  get  his  hide  off,"  and  he  drew  his  knife 
from  its  leather  sheath  and  started  to  work  skinning 
the  bear. 

Both  men  were  experienced  in  this  kind  of  work 
and  it  was  not  many  minutes  before  they  had  the 
skin  off. 

"  All  th'  bullets  shore  didn't  miss  Old  Whitenose," 
and  Silas,  bending  over  the  skin,  now  stretched  out 
on  the  ground  flesh  side  up,  pointed  to  the  scars  left 
by  nine  bullet  holes  in  the  hide.  "Reckon  I  was 
tew  confident  in  aimin'  at  his  eye,  an'  he  jest 
happened  tew  swing  his  head  'nuf  for  me  tew  miss 
him.  Leastwise  that's  th'  only  way  I  kin  figger 
it  out." 

"Guess  you've  got  the  rights  of  it."  answered 
Old  Man  Kellogg.  "He  certain  was  great  on 
swinging  his  head.  Now  —  " 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  149 

"  Howd'y,  folks.    Ben  killin'  a  b'ar,  I  see." 

All  turned  quickly  from  the  bearskin  at  these 
words,  and  saw  a  long-bearded  and  long-haired 
man,  dressed  in  deerskin,  standing  near,  leaning 
on  the  barrel  of  his  rifle  and  regarding  them  with 
interest.  "Thought  I  heered  a  shot  an'  reckoned 
I  otter  come  over  an'  see  if  yew  had  heered  'bout 
th'  row  in  th'  Hawk's  village.  He's  —  " 

"Th'  Hawk!  Black  Hawk!"  The  long  frame 
of  Silas  straightened  up  with  a  jerk.  "What's 
troublin'  th'  Hawk  now,  Ben?" 

"Wai,  if  I've  got  th'  rights  o'  it,"  answered  Ben 
Block,  the  long-haired  one,  "this's  'bout  how  th' 
fuss  started;  an'  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  blame  th'  Injuns 
fer  gittin'  some  riled,  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  dew!  Yew 
see,  ever  since  th'  Hawk  an'  his  people  come  back 
from  their  winter's  hunt  an'  discuvered  a  lot  o' 
whites  squatted  in  their  village  an'  some  o'  their 
houses  torn  down  or  burnt  up  an'  their  best  land 
taken  from  them,  th'  Hawk  an'  his  bucks  has  been 
feelin'  'bout  as  lovin'  toward  th'  whites  as  a  sore- 
footed  bear.  An',  jest  tew  rub  it  in  some  more,  when 
'tother  day  a  Sac,  one  o'  th'  Hawks  own  band, 
found  a  bee  tree,  some  o'  th'  white  squatters  claimed 
that  'twas  theirn,  an'  took  th'  honey  away  from 
him  an'  plundered  his  wagwam  tew  boot.  An'  when 
th'  Injun  objected  they  jest  laughed  at  him  an' 
told  him  that  he  was  a  lucky  dog  tew  be  allowed 
tew  keep  his  own  hide  whole.  I  was  in  th'  Hawk's 
village  th'  next  day  atter  this  happened;  an'  th' 
Hawk  an'  his  bucks  looked  an'  acted  as  if  they  was 


150  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

jest  a-ichin'  tew  dig  up  th'  hatchet  an'  bury  it  in 
th'  heads  o'  their  enemies.  I  heered  th'  Hawk 
made  a  speech  afore  th'  council  th'  night  afore  in 
which  he  declared  th'  Injuns  must  make  war  ag'in 
th'  whites,  or  be  driven  intew  th'  far  West, 
without  lands  or  horses  or  shelter;  an'  that  only 
slaves  would  stand  fer  sech  treatment  as  they  were 
a-gittin',  an'  that  they  must  dig  up  their  tomahawks, 
or  soon  they  would  all  be  made  slaves.  When  I 
heered  that  an'  seed  a  number  o'  young  bucks  lookin' 
as  if  their  fingers  was  jest  a-itchin'  tew  git  hold  o' 
my  scalp  locks,  I  jest  said  howd'y  an'  vamoosed. 
Maybe  it  will  all  blow  over,  but,"  and  his  eyes 
turned  to  Kellogg,  "'pears  tew  me,  if  I  had  eny 
wimen  folks,  I'd  want  tew  be  with  'em  just  'bout 
now." 

"  Right,"  said  Old  Man  Kellogg,  an  anxious  look 
on  his  face,  and  turned  to  Silas.  "  Let's  be  getting 
home." 

"I'm  ready,"  answered  Silas,  stooping  and 
tossing  the  skin  of  Old  Whitenose  on  his  shoulders. 
"But  I'm  goin'  'long  home  with  Gid.  His  folks 
otter  know  'bout  what  Ben's  told  us.  Come  on, 
Gid,"  and  Silas  started  off,  with  Gideon  hurrying 
along  by  his  side. 

"  Come  'long  home  with  me,  Ben,  and  fill  up  on 
the  wife's  cooking."  Old  Man  Kellogg  turned  to 
Ben  Block.  "We'll  be  powerful  glad  to  have  you 
stay  with  us  until  this  scare  blows  over." 

"  Don't  care  if  I  dew,"  answered  Ben  Block. 

The  two  old  hunters  threw  their  rifles  up  on 


The  Killing  of  Old  Whitenose  151 

their    shoulders    and    hurried    off    in    almost  the 

opposite  direction  from  that  taken  by  Gideon  and 
Silas. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

DAYS  OF  SUSPENSE 

"ITT" HEN  Gideon  and  Silas  came  to  the  bottom 
*  *  of  the  little  hill,  from  the  top  of  which  they 
should  be  able  to  see  the  camp  of  the  pioneers,  it 
was  already  dark.  They  had  traveled  far  that 
day  and  both  were  very  tired;  but  neither  thought 
of  his  weariness.  They  were  too  anxious  to  know 
how  it  fared  with  the  little  home  on  the  prairie  to 
think  of  themselves.  The  words  of  Ben  Block 
had  filled  their  hearts  with  dreadful  apprehensions. 
They  might  portend  a  terrible  sight,  when  they 
should  reach  the  top  of  that  little  hill. 

Gideon  shuddered  at  the  possibilities  the  thought 
conjured  up.  He  knew  only  too  well  the  harrowing 
nature  of  an  Indian  outbreak,  its  sudden,  remorse- 
less, deadly  sweep  that  left  behind  only  smoking 
ruins  and  dead  bodies.  During  the  long  walk 
home  he  had  said  little.  He  had  not  cared  to  talk, 
had  not  asked  even  a  question.  The  look  that  had 
come  on  the  face  of  Silas  at  the  mention  of  Black 
Hawk's  name  and  Black  Hawk's  threats,  his  sudden 
determination  to  hurry  back  home,  had  told  him 
better  than  words  could  tell  the  fear  that  was  in 
the  old  hunter's  heart.  But  now  that  he  was  almost 
in  sight  of  home,  now  that  a  few  more  steps  would 
verify  or  refute  his  worst  fears,  his  anxiety  became 

152 


Days  of  Suspense  153 

so  great  that  he  could  keep  silent  no  longer,  and 
as  they  started  up  the  hill,  he  turned  to  Silas. 

"You  —  you  don't  really  think  anything  could 
have  happened  to  dad  and  the  folks  since  morning, 
do  you?"  he  asked.  "It  has  been  such  a  little 
while." 

"  No.  I  jest  reckoned  yewr  dad  otter  know  'bout 
this  latest  Injun  scare  tew  onct,  so  I've  hurried 
back  tew  tell  him,"  answered  Silas.  But,  notwith- 
standing these  confident  words,  he  quickened  his 
pace  until  he  almost  ran  up  the  hill. 

"I  —  I  can't  wait.  I  must  know.  Whatever  it 
is,  I  must  know,"  and  Gideon  raced  up  the  hill  as 
fast  as  his  tired  legs  could  carry  him. 

At  the  top  he  stopped,  stared  over  the  dark 
prairie  beyond  for  an  instant,  then  uttered  a  shout 
of  joy. 

"They  are  safe!  Dad  and  all  are  safe!  I  can 
see  the  camp  fire ! "  and  he  turned  a  happy  face  to 
Silas,  who,  burdened  by  the  heavy  skin  of  Old 
Whitenose,  had  just  reached  the  top. 

"Wai,  I  shore  am  glad  tew  see  that  camp  fire 
thar,  burnin'  so  quiet  an'  peaceful-like,"  and  Silas 
heaved  a  sigh  of  relief ;  "  for  I  sartin  was  some 
worried  atter  heerin'  Ben  Block's  tale  an'  knowin' 
th'  temper  o'  Black  Hawk  an'  his  braves.  Now, 
seein'  thar  ain't  no  rush,  I'm  goin'  to  take  a  rest," 
and,  dropping  the  bearskin  from  his  shoulder  to 
the  ground,  he  sat  down  on  it. 

"I'll  run  on  ahead  and  tell  them  that  we  are 
coming  with  the  skin  of  Old  Whitenose."  Gideon, 


154  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

forgetting  his  weariness  in  his  excitement,  started 
off  on  the  run  across  the  dark  prairie  toward  the 
camp  fire  that  could  be  seen  burning  brightly  about 
a  mile  away,  the  half -faced  camp  showing  dimly 
in  the  background. 

"  Don't  say  nuthin'  'bout  th'  Injun  scare.  Leave 
that  tew  me,"  Silas  called  after  him. 

"All  right,"  Gideon  shouted  back,  and  raced  on. 

Indeed,  now  that  he  knew  the  dear  home  was 
safe,  the  Indian  scare  had  already  taken  a  secondary 
place  in  his  excited  mind ;  for  had  he  not  killed  Old 
Whitenose?  The  bear  the  Indians  thought  no 
bullet  could  kill,  had  he  not  killed  with  one  bullet 
from  his  rifle?  And,  in  proof  of  his  prowess,  was 
not  Silas  bringing  home  the  skin  of  Old  Whitenose? 
No  wonder  that,  for  the  moment,  the  dread  of  the 
expected  Indian  outbreak  was  all  but  forgotten  by 
the  excited  boy. 

Big  Tom  sat  on  a  log  near  the  camp  fire,  busily 
at  work  fashioning  one  of  the  many  household 
articles  needed  in  their  new  home.  Mrs.  Clay  was 
moving  about  the  fire.  Ruth,  with  the  baby  in  her 
arms,  sat  on  a  blanket  spread  out  on  the  ground 
at  her  father's  feet.  In  the  dark  background  rose 
the  rough  walls  of  the  half -faced  camp.  Over  all 
played  the  red  light  of  the  camp  fire,  a  picture, 
framed  by  the  darkness  of  the  surrounding  night, 
to  delight  the  eyes  of  an  artist. 

Even  the  excited  boy  felt  the  swift  impress  of 
the  beauty  of  the  scene  as  he  hurried  toward  it 
through  the  darkness;  but  he  did  not  pause  to 


Days  of  Suspense  155 

enjoy  it  The  moment  he  came  within  hearing 
distance,  he  uttered  a  loud  halloo  that  brought 
Big  Tom  and  Ruth  to  their  feet  and  turned  all 
eyes  in  his  direction.  A  minute  later  he  broke  into 
the  light  of  the  camp  fire  and  ran  up  to  his  father. 

"  We've  got  him !  We've  got  Old  Whitenose ! " 
he  panted.  "  Silas  is  coming  with  his  skin." 

"  Bully  for  you ! "  congratulated  Big  Tom.  "  But 
where  is  Si  ?  " 

"  He  stopped  to  rest.  The  skin  is  so  heavy. 
He'll  be  in  in  a  minute.  And  —  and  —  oh,  Dad,  I 
killed  Old  Whitenose!"  Gideon  looked  up,  his 
young  face  aglow  with  pride  and  triumph,  into  his 
father's  eyes. 

"  Right,"  and  Silas  strode  into  the  light  of  the 
fire.  "  Th'  boy  shore  did  kill  th'  brute  an'  jest  in 
th'  nick  o'  time  tew  save  my  ribs  from  bein' 
cracked.  An'  here's  th'  hide  tew  prove  it,"  and 
he  threw  the  skin  of  Old  Whitenose  down  at  the 
feet  of  Big  Tom. 

Big  Tom  reached  out  and  gripped  the  hand  of 
Gideon  and  pressed  it  warmly,  as  he  would  the 
hand  of  a  man;  but  he  did  not  utter  a  word  of 
praise,  and  there  was  no  need  that  he  should. 
Gideon  understood  and  appreciated  that  hand  grip. 
It  told  better  than  words  could  how  his  father  felt. 

Now  the  happy  boy,  seated  on  the  log  by  his 
father's  side  and  with  the  others  gathered  close 
around  him,  was  called  on  to  tell  of  the  big  hunt 
that  ended  in  the  killing  of  Old  Whitenose;  and 
when  he  had  completed  the  narrative,  not  without 


156  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

many  interruptions  from  Silas  and  exclamations 
of  astonishment  and  alarm  from  Mrs.  Clay  and 
Ruth,  the  skin  of  the  bear  was  spread  out  on  the 
ground,  where  the  full  light  of  the  camp  fire  shone 
on  it,  and  was  examined  and  admired  by  all, 
especially  the  curious  white  nose  that  had  given  the 
bear  his  name. 

"But,"  said  Big  Tom,  looking  up  from  the 
bearskin,  "  you  were  not  calculating  on  getting  back 
so  soon.  You  thought  it  would  take  at  least  two 
days,  going  and  coming.  What  brought  you  back 
so  quick?" 

The  excitement  of  the  home-coming  and  the 
telling  of  how  Old  Whitenose  had  been  killed  had, 
for  the  moment,  driven  all  thoughts  of  the  words 
of  the  old  hunter,  Ben  Block,  out  of  Gideon's  head ; 
but  now  the  question  of  his  father  brought  them 
back  with  a  suddenness  that  caused  him  to  start. 

"  We  met  an  old  hunter,  and  he  —  "  He  stopped 
in  some  confusion,  his  eyes  turning  quickly  to  the 
face  of  Silas. 

"  Well,"  and  Big  Tom  straightened  up.  His  eyes 
had  caught  the  start  of  Gideon  and  his  swift  turning 
to  Silas,  and  he  knew  that  something  was  wrong. 
"  What  is  it,  Si  ?  "  as  he  faced  the  old  hunter. 

For  a  moment  Silas  hesitated  and  glanced  a  bit 
uneasily  in  the  direction  of  Ruth;  then  he  turned 
to  Big  Tom. 

"  Jest  a  leetle  fresh  news  'bout  Black  Hawk,"  he 
said,  "that  Ben  Block,  th'  hunter,  who  corned  up 
while  we  was  a-skinnin'  Old  Whitenose,  told  us. 


Days  of  Suspense  157 

'Tain't  anything  tew  git  scart  'bout,"  he  hastened 
to  add,  as  he  noticed  the  start  of  Big  Tom  and  the 
whitening  face  of  Mrs.  Clay,  "but  I  thought  yew 
otter  know  'bout  it  tew  once,  so  we  hurried  back. 
Ben  said,"  and  then  Silas  told,  softening  its  harsh- 
ness a  little  for  the  ears  of  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth, 
the  news  that  Ben  Block  had  brought  from  the 
village  of  Black  Hawk.  "  Don't  s'pose  'twill  'mount 
tew  anythin'  serious,"  he  concluded.  "  But  thought 
'twas  a  case  whar  an  ounce  o'  prevention'd  be  wuth 
a  ton  o'  cure.  One  kin't  be  tew  cautious  when 
Injun  devilment  is  brewin',  'specially  when  th'  In- 
jun is  Black  Hawk." 

For  a  moment  Big  Tom  stood  silent,  his  eyes 
studying  the  face  of  Silas;  then  he  said  quietly: 
"  We  must  stand  guard  tonight." 

"You  don't  think  — "  began  Mrs.  Clay,  and 
stopped,  for  what  was  the  use  of  asking  questions? 
No  human  being,  at  least  no  white  human  being, 
could  tell,  with  any  certainty,  what  Indians 
would  do. 

"Black  Hawk!  You  said  Black  Hawk!"  and 
Ruth  started,  suddenly  remembering  the  words  of 
Brighteyes  when  she  hung  the  totem  of  the  little 
black  hawk  around  her  neck.  "Black  Hawk,  he's 
the  father  of  Brighteyes.  See,  she  gave  me  this," 
and  she  pulled  out  the  little  black  hawk  from  the 
bosom  of  her  dress,"  and  told  me  that  it  was  the 
totem  of  her  father,  the  great  chief,  Black  Hawk; 
that  no  Indian  would  dare  to  hurt  me  while  I  wore 
this  around  my  neck.  I  don't  believe  the  father 


158  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

of  Brighteyes  could  be  such  a  terribly  bad  Indian," 
and  she  held  the  totem  up  where  all  could  see  it. 

"So  that  Injun  gal  is  the  daughter  o'  Black 
Hawk  himself!  Wai,  that's  somethin*,  but  jest 
how  much  no  mortal  kin  tell.  Injun  is  Injun;  an' 
'twould  take  more'n  a  daughter's  hand  tew  stay 
th'  tomahawk  o'  an  Injun.  But  I'd  shore  ware  th' 
leetle  hawk  all  th'  time,  jest  for  luck.  It  might 
come  in  handy  sometime.  Let's  have  a  look  at  it," 
and  Silas  extended  his  hand  for  the  totem. 

Ruth  handed  the  little  rudely  carved  stone  to 
him  and  he  and  the  others  examined  it  closely  and 
curiously  by  the  light  of  the  fire.  Big  Tom  returned 
the  totem  to  Ruth,  and  as  he  replaced  the  chain 
that  supported  it  around  her  neck  he  bent  and 
kissed  her. 

"Always  wear  it,"  he  said,  "and  remember  the 
words  of  Brighteyes.  Now,"  and  he  glanced  a  bit 
uneasily  out  into  the  surrounding  darkness,  "I 
reckon  we'd  better  put  out  this  camp  fire — its  light 
can  be  seen  too  far — and  get  to  bed.  You're 
tuckered,  Si,  so  I'll  stand  guard  for  the  first  part 
of  the  night.  Now  get  to  bed,"  and  Big  Tom  began 
pulling  the  wood  out  of  the  fire  and  scattering  and 
stamping  out  the  live  coals. 

Gideon  was  very  tired;  but,  notwithstanding  his 
weariness,  he  lay  there  in  the  darkness  of  the  half- 
faced  camp  for  many  minutes,  pondering  over  the 
exciting  events  of  the  day  and  thinking  of  the 
dread  possibilities  of  an  Indian  attack,  before  sleep 
closed  his  eyes.  He  knew  that  the  silence  of  the 


Days  of  Suspense  159 

night  might  be  broken  at  any  moment  by  the  terrible 
war  whoops  of  the  red  men. 

Not  a  pleasant  thought  to  take  to  bed  with  one; 
and  yet  it  was  a  thought  that  early  pioneers  had 
often  to  make  a  bedfellow.  Rumors  of  Indian 
outbreaks  were  frequent  and  every  rumor  carried 
with  it  the  possibility  of  these  dreadful  night 
attacks  to  the  lonely  settlers.  There  was  many  a 
terror-filled  night,  when  many  a  sleepless  lad  and 
many  a  sleepless  maid  lay  shivering  in  bed;  and 
for  some  the  morning  never  dawned. 

However,  there  was  no  alarm  at  the  Clay  home 
during  the  night. 

Gideon  did  not  awaken  the  next  morning  until 
he  was  routed  out  by  his  father.  That  day  and 
for  the  three  following  days  Big  Tom  and  Silas 
carried  their  rifles  with  them  wherever  they  went, 
and  their  eyes  were  continually  searching  the  long 
line  of  the  woods  and  the  wide  sweep  of  the  prairie ; 
but  the  days  and  the  nights  passed  without  alarm  — 
warm,  bright,  delightful  days  and  quiet,  peaceful 
nights,  when  it  seemed  almost  like  sacrilege  to  think 
that  the  horrors  of  savage  warfare  could  threaten 
a  scene  so  quiet  and  beautiful. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  Silas,  the 
moment  he  arose  from  the  breakfast  table,  picked 
up  his  rifle. 

"I  reckon,"  he  said,  "it  would  be  a  good  thing 
for  me  tew  dew  some  reconniterin'  an'  find  out 
jest  what  th'  Injuns  have  been  doin'.  This  suspense 
ain't  good  for  th'  nerves.  I'll  shore  be  back  in  tew 


160  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

or  three  days.  Now  don't  let  up  none  on  yewr 
precautions  while  I'm  away.  I  reckon  th'  trouble's 
been  smoothed  over  this  time;  but  'tain't  wise  to 
run  no  risks  when  it's  Injuns.  So-long.  Keep  a 
tight  hold  on  yewr  scalps,"  and,  with  a  grin  on  his 
face,  he  tossed  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder  and  was  off. 

Gideon  now  took  the  place  of  Silas  in  driving  the 
oxen  while  his  father  held  the  plow.  No  precau- 
tions were  neglected  to  guard  against  a  surprise 
by  the  Indians.  Gideon  and  his  father  carried  their 
rifles  with  them  while  at  work  in  the  field,  and 
Mrs.  Clay's  rifle  always  stood  ready  loaded  near 
her  hand.  Ruth  was  not  allowed  to  go  a  dozen  rods 
from  the  house.  At  night  Gideon  did  his  turn  at 
standing  guard. 

In  this  way  three  days  passed,  and  Silas  had  not 
returned.  What  could  be  delaying  him?  He  had 
promised  to  be  back  in  three  days,  surely,  and  now 
the  three  days  were  gone.  The  fourth  day  passed, 
and  the  uneasiness,  the  fear  of  all  increased. 
Something  must  have  happened  to  the  brave,  kindly 
old  hunter. 

On  the  evening  of  the  fifth  day,  as  they  sat  in 
front  of  the  half-faced  camp  in  the  darkness  —  a 
camp  fire,  or  even  a  candle,  was  too  risky  —  as  they 
sat  thinking  and  talking  of  Silas  and  wondering 
what  could  be  keeping  him,  without  daring  to  put 
into  words  the  fear  that  was  in  each  heart,  that 
the  Indians  had  either  killed  or  captured  him,  there 
came  a  halloo  from  out  the  darkness  that  brought 
them  all  to  their  feet  with  an  answering  shout  of 


Days  of  Suspense  161 

gladness,  and  a  moment  later  the  tall,  gaunt  form 
of  the  old  hunter  was  among  them. 

"  Start  th'  fire.  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar,"  were 
his  first  words. 

"  Glory  be,  but  I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  you,  Si," 
and  Big  Tom  gripped  his  hand.  "Thought  the 
Indians  had  got  you  sure." 

"Git  th'  fire  a-goin',"  reiterated  Silas.  "Ain't 
no  sense  o'  settin'  here  in  th'  dark.  Git  th'  fire 
a-goin'  an'  th'  coffee  a-bilin'  an'  th'  meat  a-sizzlin'. 
I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar ;  an'  I  won't  dew  no  talkin' 
nor  explainin'  'til  I've  chucked  somethin'  intew  th' 
empty  spot  in  my  stumick." 

But  there  was  no  need  of  further  "  talkin' "  or 
"  explainin' "  to  lift  the  burden  of  fear  from  off 
their  hearts.  The  voice  and  words  of  Silas  had 
already  done  that ;  and  the  "  explainin' "  could  wait 
the  filling  of  that  "empty  spot." 

In  a  surprisingly  short  time  a  fire  was  blazing 
hotly,  the  coffee  "  a-bilin'  "  and  the  meat  "  a-sizzlin'  " 
and  Silas  busily  filling  the  "  empty  spot." 

The  last  satisfying  mouthful  down,  Silas  drew 
back  from  the  table. 

"Thar,  I'm  feelin'  kumfertable  ag'in,"  he  said. 
"I  never  could  talk  an'  eat  tew  once  — " 

"For  the  land  sakes  then  do  some  talking  now 
and  set  our  minds  at  rest  about  the  Indians," 
laughed  Mrs.  Clay. 

Now  that  the  suspense  and  dread  of  the  past  few 
days  had  vanished,  the  reaction  put  all  in  the  best 
of  spirits  and  smiles  and  laughter  came  easily. 


1 62  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"Wai,"  and  the  face  of  Silas  sobered,  "'twas 
a  powerful  close  shave  for  th'  settlers.  Black  Hawk 
an'  his  bucks  sartin  was  some  het  up  —  an'  I'll  be 
durned  if  I  blame  'em!  They  sartin  had  cause 
tew  get  hot  under  the  coller.  If  th'  Cover 'ment 
would  hang  'bout  a  dozen  o'  them  wuthless,  land- 
grabbin',  whiskey-drinkin'  and  whiskey-sellin' 
whites  that  is  allers  dewin'  somethin'  tew  rile  th' 
blood  o'  th'  Injuns,  'twould  dew  more  for  th'  lastin' 
peace  o'  th'  country  than  an  army  o'  soldiers,  an' 
be  a  powerful  sight  cheaper.  That's  what  I'd  dew, 
if  I  had  my  say,"  and  he  smiled  grimly.  "Th' 
trouble  started  ag'in  'bout  as  Ben  Block  said,  over 
th'  findin'  o'  a  bee-tree  an'  th'  robbin'  o'  th'  Injun 
that  found  it,  not  only  o'  th'  honey,  but  o'  everythin' 
o'  value  that  he  had  in  his  wigwam,  an'  then  laughin' 
at  him  when  he  objected,  an'  tellin'  him  he  was  a 
lucky  dog  tew  git  off  with  a  hull  hide.  Black 
Hawk  an'  his  bucks,  as  I  told  yew  afore,  was 
already  feelin'  'bout  as  good-natured  toward  th' 
whites  as  a  sick  b'ar;  and  when  they  heered  o'  this 
latest  outrage,  some  on  'em  was  for  diggin'  th' 
hatchet  up  tew  once  an'  startin'  right  in  massacrin' 
th'  whites.  When  I  got  tew  th'  Hawk's  village, 
things  sartin  looked  dubious;  but  good  counsel  at 
last  won  out;  an'  last  night  th'  Injuns  an'  th'  whites 
had  a  big  pow-wow;  and  some  o'  th'  whites  talked 
right  good  tew  th'  Injuns  an'  th'  trouble's  smoothed 
over  for  th'  present;  but  it's  still  thar,  a-smolderin', 
an'  th'  good  Lord  alone  knows  when  some  uther 
fool  white  will  dew  somethin'  tew  stir  it  all  up 


Days  of  Suspense  163 

ag'in.  That's  what  delayed  me,  a-waitin'  tew  see 
what  way  th'  cat  was  a-goin'  tew  jump.  But  I  did 
some  lively  travelin'  when  I  got  started.  A  good 
sixty  miles  since  sunup !  Reckon  I've  earnt  a  good 
night's  rest  an'  sleep  an'  now  I'm  goin'  tew  git  it. 
So-long  'til  mornin',"  and,  without  another  word, 
he  stretched  himself  out  on  one  of  the  beds  and  in 
five  minutes  more  was  sound  asleep. 

The  anxiety  and  the  suspense  of  the  past  few 
days  and  the  necessity  of  keeping  guard  at  night 
had  told  on  the  others,  and  all  were  glad  to  follow 
the  example  of  Silas. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  WILDERNESS  ITCH 

"DUSY  days,  days  full  of  hard  but  wholesome 
-*^*  outdoor  toil,  now  followed  the  excitement  of 
the  big  bear  hunt  and  the  dread  of  the  Indian 
scare.  Twenty  acres  of  the  rich  prairie  land  were 
plowed  and  made  ready  for  the  crops.  Big  Tom 
had  brought  with  him  seed  corn  to  plant  a  dozen 
acres;  and  corn,  since  it  furnished  food  for  both 
man  and  beast,  was  to  be  the  main  crop  raised. 

Gideon  and  Ruth,  barefooted  and  happy,  with 
bags  of  seed  tied  about  their  waists,  both  went 
forth  with  their  father  and  Silas  to  the  corn 
planting;  and  dropping  the  large  golden  grains 
into  the  little  holes  dug  with  their  hoes  in  the  soft 
black  loam,  covered  them  quickly  with  a  hoeful 
of  dirt,  pressed  a  bare  foot  down  on  them,  and 
passed  on  to  the  next  hill,  in  the  meantime  keeping 
up  an  almost  ceaseless  clatter  of  talk  that,  like  the 
twitter  of  birds,  gave  voice  to  their  own  happiness. 

After  the  corn  planting,  came  the  sowing  of  a 
little  wheat,  enough  to  make  flour  for  home  baking, 
and  an  acre  or  so  of  oats  for  the  horses.  Then 
potatoes  and  other  table  vegetables,  sufficient  for 
home  use,  were  planted,  and  a  few  berry  bushes 
that  they  had  brought  with  them  were  set  out. 

Silas,  during  all  of  these  busy  days,  had  remained 

164 


The  Wilderness  Itch  165 

with  them,  working  hard  every  day  and  eating 
heartily  every  meal;  but  when  the  crops  were  all 
in,  the  spirit  of  unrest,  the  Wanderlust  that  had 
made  him  the  adventurous  nomad  he  was,  came 
upon  him;  and  one  morning  as  he  arose  from  the 
breakfast  table  he  abruptly  announced  that  his  legs 
were  just  "  a-itchin'  tew  be  on  th'  go."  "  I've  jest 
gotter  go  with  'em,  or  they'll  shore  be  skylarkin' 
off  by  themselves,"  he  said. 

"Shucks,  Si!"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "You're  old 
enough  now  to  settle  down  and  live  comfortably 
and  not  be  trapesing  all  over  the  country.  Supposing 
you  make  your  home  with  us.  You  shore'd  be 
welcome,  and  you  need  not  do  a  snitch  of  work 
unless  you  want  to.  I  know  Martha  and  the  yunks 
would  be  glad  to  have  you." 

"I  know,  I  know;  an'  I  thank  yew  heartily," 
Silas  replied.  "But  th'  spell's  on  me  an'  I've  jest 
gotter  shoulder  my  old  gun  an'  live  wild  for  a  time, 
away  from  all  humans  an'  alone  with  nater,"  and 
his  eyes  kindled  as  they  swept  longingly  over  the 
broad  prairie  and  rested  on  the  long  line  of  the 
distant  forest  "I've  jest  got  tew  go,  Tom;  but 
I'll  shore  be  back  afore  long.  An'  I'll  be  as  hungry 
as  a  b'ar,"  he  added,  with  a  grin  and  a  wink  in 
the  direction  of  Mrs.  Clay. 

"You'll  be  right  welcome  back,  Si,"  the  good 
woman  responded  heartily.  "  But  you'd  better  do 
as  Tom  says  and  stay  with  us  right  along." 

"  Kin't."  Again  Silas's  eyes  swept  the  surround- 
ing prairie  and  forest.  "  Th'  wilderness  itch  has  got 


1 66  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

intew  my  blood  an'  I've  got  tew  work  it  out  —  but 
'tain't  no  use  standin'  here  talkin'.  I'll  be  back 
when  th'  itch  gets  out  o'  my  blood.  So-long,"  and, 
tossing  the  long  barrel  of  his  rifle  upon  his  shoulder, 
he  strode  swiftly  off  toward  the  west. 

"Queer  how  the  wilderness  does  get  into  the 
blood,"  philosophized  Big  Tom,  as  he  stood  watch- 
ing the  retreating  form  of  Silas  Wegg.  "  A  house 
is  like  a  prison  to  one  who  has  passed  his  life 
roaming  free  and  wild  through  great  forests  and 
over  vast  prairies.  Well,  it  shore  is  a  fascinating 
life  and  gets  into  the  blood  powerful;  but,"  his 
eyes  passed  slowly  from  the  face  of  his  wife  to  the 
faces  of  his  children,  "'tain't  like  having  a  home 
of  your  own.  Si  don't  know  what  he's  missing. 
He  shore  don't  know  what  he's  missing  when  he 
misses  this,"  and  he  bent  and  kissed  the  dimpled 
cheeks  of  his  baby  as  she  lay  in  her  mother's  arms. 

"  He  shore  don't,"  agreed  Mrs.  Clay  emphatically. 
"  Poor,  lonely  old  man !  I  wish  he  would  settle 
down  and  live  with  us." 

"  Too  late  to  change  him  now,"  smiled  Big  Tom. 
"Si'll  be  just  Si  Wegg,  the  hunter,  as  long  as  he 
can  carry  a  rifle  or  follow  a  trail;  and,  I  reckon, 
that's  just  about  what  the  good  God  intended  him 
to  be.  In  this  new  country  some  one  has  got  to 
go  on  ahead  and  spy  out  the  land  and  learn  the 
trails,  so  that  we  settlers  can  follow,  and  that  is 
what  Si  and  his  kind  are  doing.  They  are  the 
scouts  of  the  advancing  army  of  civilization.  I 
reckon  it's  just  God's  way  of  settling  up  a  new 


The  Wilderness  Itch  167 

country,  slow  but  sure —  Well,  I  swun,  if  I  ain't 
been  philosophizing!  Reckon  the  philosophizing 
itch  is  getting  into  my  blood/'  he  grinned.  "  But 
I  know  what  will  drive  it  out.  Come  on,  Gid," 
and,  picking  up  his  ax,  he  started  for  the  woods, 
followed  by  Gideon,  ax  in  hand. 

Now  that  the  crops  were  all  in,  there  was  little 
to  do  on  the  "  farm  "  until  harvesting  time ;  but  this 
did  not  mean  idleness  for  Gideon  and  his  father. 
The  log  house  was  yet  to  be  built,  and  as  Big  Tom 
was  anxious  to  get  the  house  up  as  soon  as  possible, 
every  moment  that  could  be  spared  from  the  crops 
was  spent  on  the  house.  Trees  had  to  be  cut  down, 
sawed  up  into  logs  of  the  right  length,  and  then 
hauled  to  the  place  where  the  house  was  to  be 
built. 

Gideon  and  his  father  worked  hard,  but  neither 
cared  for  the  hard  work  —  for  was  it  not  on  their 
own  house  that  they  were  working?  By  the  last 
of  August  they  had  all  the  logs  needed  for  the  house 
cut  and  hauled.  Now  all  was  ready  for  the  actual 
house  building.  But  the  task  of  lifting  the  heavy 
logs  up  into  their  places  in  the  walls  of  the  house 
was  beyond  the  strength  of  Gideon  and  his  father 
to  accomplish  alone,  and  therefore  Big  Tom  decided 
to  have  a  house  raising. 

In  pioneer  days,  when  a  house  or  barn  was  to 
be  built  or  any  other  work  to  be  done  that  required 
extra  help,  it  was  the  pleasant  custom  of  the 
neighbors  to  all  turn  out  on  an  appointed  day  and 
help  with  the  work.  These  helping-days  were  made 


1 68  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

great  days  by  the  pioneers.  After  the  work  came 
the  feasting,  prepared  and  brought  to  the  gathering 
by  the  good  housewives  of  the  neighborhood;  and 
after  the  feasting  came  the  dancing  and  the  rougher 
sports  of  the  men,  such  as  wrestling,  running, 
jumping,  shooting,  etc.  Pioneer  neighborhood 
gatherings  of  any  kind  were  few,  and  when  one 
did  occur  all  made  the  best  of  it. 

Big  Tom's  neighbors  were  few  and  far  apart, 
but  what  they  lacked  in  numbers  they  more  than 
made  up  in  willingness,  and  a  distance  of  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  miles  did  not  seem  as  far  for  a 
neighborly  visit  in  those  days  as  it  does  now. 
Twenty  miles  north  of  them  lived  Abe  Dixon  and 
wife  and  their  brood  of  ten  children;  fifteen  miles 
south  dwelt  Big  Ike  Conrad,  with  his  motherless 
crop  of  girls  and  boys;  while  still  a  little  farther 
south  was  the  home  of  Old  Man  Kellogg.  There 
were  three  or  four  other  neighbors  within  a  radius 
of  thirty  miles  and  all  these  would  be  invited  to 
the  house  raising  and  all  would  be  quite  sure  to 
come,  unless  prevented  by  some  unavoidable 
hindrance ;  for  no  one  in  those  days  willingly  missed 
such  an  opportunity  of  meeting  his  neighbors. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  the  last  log  for  the 
house  was  hauled,  as  Big  Tom  and  the  others  sat 
in  front  of  the  half-faced  camp,  planning  how  best 
to  notify  the  neighbors  of  the  coming  raising,  all 
were  startled  by  a  low  chuckle,  seemingly  coming 
from  directly  behind  them,  and,  turning  quickly, 
were  astounded  to  see  Silas  standing  not  six  feet 


The  Wilderness  Itch  169 

from  them,  leaning  on  the  long  barrel  of  his  rifle 
and  regarding  them  quizzically. 

"Mercy  on  us!"  and  Mrs.  Clay's  hand  was  the 
first  to  clasp  the  hand  of  the  old  hunter.  "Land 
sakes,  how  you  did  startle  me!  But  you're  right 
welcome  back,  Si,"  and  she  shook  the  hand  warmly. 

"You  old  Indian!  Still  up  to  your  old  tricks,  I 
see ! "  Big  Tom  grabbed  the  other  hand.  "  Well, 
you're  as  welcome  as  a  hunk  of  ice  on  a  hot  day." 

"Thought  Fd  see  what  sort  o'  a  guard  yew  was 
a-keepin',"  chuckled  the  old  hunter.  "  Might  have 
scalped  yew  all  afore  one  o'  yew  knowed  it." 

"Oh,  but  I  am  glad  to  see  you!"  cried  Ruth, 
catching  hold  of  one  of  his  sleeves.  "Now  you 
will  tell  us  some  more  stories,  won't  you?" 

"  Sartin,"  grinned  Silas.  "  Great  Moses,  but  I 
shore  am  glad  tew  git  back  whar  thar's  wimen's 
cookin'.  Ain't  had  a  half-decent  meal  since  I  left; 
an',  dew  yew  know,  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar  right 
now?"  and  the  grin  on  his  face  broadened  as  he 
turned  to  Mrs.  Clay. 

"  Poor  man ! "  laughed  Mrs.  Clay.  "  I'll  get  you 
something  to  eat  in  a  jiffy.  Gideon  shot  a  fine 
gobbler  this  morning  and  I  reckon  there's  enough 
left,  'long  with  some  hot  johnny  cake  and  potatoes, 
to  fill  you  up." 

"Trot  'em  out,  then;  for  I  shore  am  as  hungry 
as  a  b'ar,"  and  seating  himself  on  a  log  near  the 
fire,  he  stretched  out  his  long  legs  with  a  sigh  of 
satisfaction. 

After  Silas  had  been  filled  up,  "plumb  tew  th' 


170  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

muzzle,"  as  he  declared,  he  told  the  tale  of  his 
wanderings;  but,  as  they  had  nothing  to  do  with 
this  story,  we  will  pass  them  over,  only  stating, 
to  show  the  untamed  nature  of  the  man,  that  he  had 
spent  a  greater  part  of  the  time  roaming  absolutely 
alone  through  the  wilderness  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  "  tew  git  th'  itch  o'  th'  wilderness  out  o'  my 
blood,"  as  he  put  it.  Now  he  was  contented  to 
settle  down  into  a  more  civilized  way  of  living  for 
a  month  or  two  "an"  live  in  a  house  an'  eat  three 
square  meals  a  day." 

"  We  shore  are  glad  to  have  you  back  with  us," 
Big  Tom  assured  him,  when  they  were  all  seated 
around  the  blazing  camp  fire,  "more  especially 
since  I'm  thinking  of  having  a  house  raising,  and 
you  are  just  the  man  to  take  the  invitations.  We've 
all  the  logs  needed  for  the  house  cut  and  hauled." 

"  Jest  th'  thing,"  declared  Silas,  his  face  lighting 
up  with  interest.  "  I'll  start  right  out  in  th'  mornin' ; 
an'  I'll  git  every  mother's  son  an'  daughter,  tew, 
within  thirty  miles,  tew  come.  Have  yew  sot  on 
th'  day?" 

"How'll  a  week  from  today  do?"  Big  Tom 
looked  inquiringly  toward  his  wife. 

"  All  right  for  me,"  Mrs.  Clay  answered.  "  That'll 
give  me  plenty  of  time  to  do  the  cooking  and  get 
things  fixed." 

"  Then  we'll  make  it  a  week  from  today.  Now, 
who  shall  we  invite?  "  and  Big  Tom  again  addressed 
Silas. 

"Let  me  see,  thar's  Dixon  up  on  Goose  Creek, 


The  Wilderness  Itch  171 

an'  Big  Ike  Conrad  down  at  Turtle  Lake.  Big 
Ike's  done  a  heap  o'  braggin'  'bout  his  wrestlin'. 
Says  he's  never  seed  but  one  man  who  could  lay 
him  on  his  back.  Wai,  I  want  tew  show  him 
anuther  man  what  kin  dew  it  a  week  from  today," 
and  Silas  winked  one  eye  at  Gideon. 

"And  dad'll  do  it,  too.  I  know  dad  can  do  it, 
can't  you,  Dad?"  Gideon  turned  an  excited  but 
confident  face  to  his  father. 

"I'll  shore  do  my  best  not  to  disappoint  Si,  if  I 
have  the  chance,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "But  I've 
heard  that  this  Big  Ike  is  a  holy  terror  when  it 
comes  to  wrestling.  Last  year,  down  in  Sangamon 
County,  he  came  mighty  nigh  throwing  Abe  Lin- 
coln; and  the  man  is  powerful  good  at  wrestling 
who  can  do  that,  according  to  my  cousin,  who  lives 
in  the  same  town  with  Lincoln  and  who  thinks 
Abe  Lincoln  the  most  powerful  and  skillful  wrestler 
that  he  has  ever  seen — and  he  has  seen  me.  So 
you'd  better  make  no  bets  on  your  dad,  son." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  scared  of  your  getting  throwed," 
asserted  Gideon,  his  confidence  in  his  father's  wres- 
tling prowess  unshaken.  "  I  know  you  can  throw 
Big  Ike,  or  Abe  Lincoln  himself,  for  that  matter. 
Cousin  Bill  don't  know  as  much  about  wrestling  as 
he  thinks  he  does." 

"  I'm  shore  not  like  the  prophets  of  old,  without 
glory  in  my  own  family,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "  Well, 
if  this  Big  Ike  will  give  me  the  chance,  I'll  certainly 
do  my  best  to  deserve  your  good  opinion.  It's  been 
a  long  time  since  I've  had  a  right  good  wrestling 


172  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

bout,"  and  his  eyes  kindled.  "  But  we've  wandered 
from  the  subject.  Now,  who  else  is  there  to  in- 
vite ? "  He  turned  again  to  Silas. 

Silas  gave  him  the  names  of  all  who  lived  near 
enough  to  come ;  and  it  was  arranged  that  he  should 
start  out  early  the  next  morning  with  an  invitation 
to  each  to  come  to  the  house  raising  and  bring  his 
family,  big  and  little,  with  him. 

"  We'll  have  jest  a  rip-rarin'  jolly  old  time," 
Silas  declared,  as  they  entered  the  house  to  go  to 
bed,  after  all  the  details  of  the  house  raising  had 
been  settled.  "An'  I'll  have  a  chance  tew  see  if 
I've  still  got  my  runnin'  legs  an'  if  my  shootin'  eye 
is  all  right.  Say,  yew  old  hipperpotamus ! "  and 
he  gave  Big  Tom  a  whack  on  the  back  with  his 
hand,  "  if  yew  don't  take  th'  conceit  out  o'  Big  Ike, 
I'll  never  make  anuther  brag  'bout  th'  wrestlin' 
skill  o'  Big  Tom  Clay  as  long  as  I  live,  so  help  me 
Moses !  Yew  see,"  and  he  grinned,  "  I've  been 
dewin'  consider'ble  braggin'  'bout  th'  big  Ohio  man 
that  came  mighty  nigh  bustin'  every  bone  in  my 
body  an'  a-jarrin'  out  every  tooth  in  my  mouth  th' 
only  time  I  was  ever  fool  enough  tew  wrestle  with 
him;  an'  I'll  lose  my  repertation  for  truthfulness 
if  yew  don't  live  up  tew  th'  repertation  I've  give 
yew  for  wrestlin'."  And,  chuckling,  Silas  crawled 
into  his  bed,  as  happy  as  a  boy  over  the  prospects 
of  the  coming  house  raising. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

BUILDING  THE  LOG  HOUSE 

Gideon  and  Ruth  the  day  of  the  house  raising 
was  one  of  the  great  days  of  their  lives.  From 
the  moment  they  knew  of  its  coming  they  could 
think  or  talk  of  little  else;  and,  when  at  last  the 
great  day  dawned,  they  were  out  of  their  beds  the 
first  ones  in  the  house  and  rushed  outdoors  to  see 
how  the  weather  looked. 

"  Clear  as  a  whistle ! "  shouted  Gideon,  joyously, 
as  his  eyes  swept  the  cloudless  skies.  "  Hi,  there ! " 
He  thrust  his  head  in  between  the  blankets  that 
hung  in  front  of  the  half-faced  camp.  "Every- 
body up !  This  is  house  raising  day !  Not  a  cloud 
is  in  the  sky  and  the  sun  is  coming  up  glorious! 
Everybody  up ! " 

That  was  a  busy  morning  for  everyone.  Big 
Tom  and  Gideon  worked  as  swiftly  as  arms  and 
legs  could  move,  sorting  out  logs  and  hewing  their 
ends  so  that  they  would  fit  together  when  laid  into 
the  walls  of  the  house.  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  hur- 
ried hither  and  thither,  getting  everything  about 
the  place  in  readiness  for  the  expected  guests.  All 
were  excited  and  happy  and  constantly  talking  and 
laughing;  for  a  house  raising  was  an  event  to 
awaken  enthusiasm  even  in  grown-ups. 

Abe  Dixon,  his  wife  and  all  of  their  ten  children 

i73 


174  Tne  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

were  the  first  to  arrive.  Then,  a  little  later,  came 
Old  Man  Kellogg  and  his  wife.  Thus,  family  by 
family,  they  came  riding  across  the  prairie  from 
different  directions,  until  by  ten  o'clock  all  had 
gathered  about  the  little  half -faced  camp  of  Big 
Tom  Clay. 

It  was  a  motley  looking  crowd  of  men  and  women 
and  children.  Nearly  all  the  men  and  boys  were 
clothed  in  homemade  deerskin  suits  and  the  women 
and  the  girls  in  homespun.  Most  of  the  men  allowed 
their  beards  and  hair  to  grow  long  and  paid  almost 
no  attention  to  their  personal  appearance.  The 
women  and  the  girls,  however,  were  neatly  and 
cleanly  dressed,  though  it  was  in  homespun,  and 
seemed  to  take  as  much  pride  in  their  personal  ap- 
pearance as  do  their  more  fashionable  sisters  of 
today.  Every  man  carried  his  rifle;  and,  in  addi- 
tion, each  had  brought  with  him  his  ax  and  other 
tools.  The  women,  according  to  the  hospitable  cus- 
tom of  the  time,  all  brought  baskets  filled  with  the 
best  products  of  their  cooking  skill.  This  was  for 
the  feasting  that  would  sustain  and  enliven  the 
work.  Daddy  Jones,  a  thin,  white-haired  old  man, 
with  a  smooth-shaven  wrinkled  face,  carried  his 
old,  timeworn  violin,  or  fiddle,  as  our  pioneer 
friends  called  it.  This  was  for  the  dancing  that 
would  follow  the  completion  of  the  house  raising. 
In  all,  about  thirty  people,  counting  men,  women, 
and  children,  had  gathered  about  the  little  home  of 
Big  Tom  Clay. 

The  men  and  the  older  boys  at  once  began  work 


Building  the  Log  House  175 

on  the  logs.  Some,  with  their  axes,  hewed  them 
into  shape  for  the  walls,  others  carried  them,  and 
still  others,  the  older  and  more  experienced  men, 
laid  them  carefully  and  accurately  into  the  walls 
of  the  house.  Among  these  last  was  Big  Ike 
Conrad,  a  huge,  massively  built  man,  a  good  inch 
taller  and  broader  than  was  Big  Tom  himself,  with 
a  red  face,  red  bushy  whiskers,  and  red  hair. 

The  eyes  of  Gideon  turned  often  to  the  form  of 
Big  Ike.  He  watched  the  play  of  his  great  muscles, 
as  he  helped  lift  the  heavy  logs  to  their  places  in 
the  wall,  with  something  very  much  like  trepida- 
tion. There  was  no  discounting  the  tremendous 
strength  of  the  man.  In  handling  the  heavy  logs 
he  appeared  able  to  lift  as  much  as  the  two  powerful 
men  working  by  his  side. 

"  He  is  a  little  slow  and  too  fat,"  thought  Gideon, 
"to  make  a  right  good  wrestler.  Looks  as  if  he 
ate  and  drank  too  much.  But  he  shore  is  a  power- 
ful man,  and  dad'll  have  his  work  cut  out  for  him 
if  it  comes  to  a  tussle  between  them." 

"Ain't  dad  strong?"  and  Hank  Conrad,  big- 
framed  and  red-haired,  like  his  father,  who  was 
working  alongside  of  Gideon  and  had  noticed  how 
often  his  eyes  were  reverting  to  the  powerful  frame 
of  his  father,  turned  to  Gideon,  aglow  with  pride. 
"  Dad's  th'  strongest  man  in  all  Illernoie,  an'  kin 
lick  eny  man  or  throw  eny  man  in  these  parts."  A 
challenging  light  came  into  his  eyes,  as  they  glanced 
swiftly  to  where  Big  Tom  was  at  work.  "Why, 
down  in  Sangamon  County  last  summer,  he  came 


176  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

powerful  near  throwing  Abe  Lincoln  himself,  an' 
Abe's  th'  champeeon  wrestler  o'  th'  world,  I  reckon, 
from  what  I've  heered  tell  o'  him.  Kin  your  dad 
wrestle?  He's  big,  'most  as  big  as  my  dad,  an'  he 
looks  strong;  but  I'll  bet  my  dad  could  down  him 
as  fast  as  he  could  git  up." 

"Your  dad  throw  my  dad!"  and  Gideon  tried 
to  inject  all  the  scorn  he  felt  into  the  tone  of  his 
voice.  "  My  dad,  back  in  Ohio,  throwed  everyone 
he  wrestled  with,  and,  I  reckon,  he  can  do  the  same 
in  Illinois." 

"  Huh ! "  laughed  Hank,  scornfully.  "  Yew  think 
your  dad's  some  pun'kin,  don't  yew?  Wai,  jest 
wait  'till  my  dad  gits  hold  o'  him.  He'll  be  lucky 
if  he  escapes  with  a  hull  bone  in  his  body.  Why, 
my  dad  could  throw  your  dad  as  easy  as  I  could 
throw  yew.  Or,  maybe,  yew  think  yew  kin  throw 
me ! "  and  he  glowered  down  belligerently  at  Gideon. 

Gideon,  during  this  conversation,  had  been  grow- 
ing more  indignant  all  the  time.  From  the  first 
sight  he  had  had  of  him  he  had  taken  a  dislike  to 
this  big  red-headed  boy  of  Ike  Conrad's,  with  all 
the  earmarks  of  an  arrogant  bully  about  him,  and 
now  his  boastful  talk  and  domineering  ways  had 
increased  this  dislike  greatly.  He  flushed  and,  for 
a  moment,  his  eyes  looked  steadily  into  the  eyes 
of  Hank  Conrad;  but  he  spoke  quietly  enough. 

"Yes,  I  might  be  able  to  throw  you,"  he  said. 
"  I've  throwed  bigger  boys  than  you.  Leastwise,  I 
am  willing  to  try,  when  the  house  is  up  and  the 
sports  begin;  and  I  think  dad  will  be  right  pleased 


Building  the  Log  House  177 

to  give  your  dad  a  tussle.  You  know  it  takes  more 
than  just  size  and  muscle  to  make  a  wrestler." 

"  Huh ! "  Hank  glanced  scornfully  up  and  down 
Gideon's  sturdy  form.  "  So  yew  think  yew  kin 
wrestle,  dew  yew?  An*  yew'll  give  me  a  try,  will 
yew?  Powerful  kind,"  and  he  grinned  impudently; 
"but  I  don't  know  as  I  care  to  wrestle  with  leetle 
boys." 

"'Fraid?"  Gideon  spoke  quietly,  but  his  face 
had  become  a  little  white. 

"Not  on  your  life!"  answered  Hank,  hotly. 
"I'll  wrestle  yew;  an'  if  I  kin't  throw  yew  as  fast 
as  yew  kin  git  up,  I'll  eat  my  coonskin  cap,  ha'r  an' 
all." 

"Hope  the  hair  won't  disagree  with  your  stom- 
ach, then,  for  you  shore  will  have  to  eat  it,"  and 
Gideon  smiled,  though  his  eyes  glinted. 

"  Yew  jest  wait."  The  red  face  of  Hank  flushed 
more  redly.  "I'll  —  " 

"  Lively  thar,  with  that  log ! "  suddenly  bellowed 
Big  Ike,  noticing  that  the  two  boys  stood  idly 
talking.  "We're  waitin'  fer  it.  Dew  yew  think 
this  is  a  picnic?" 

Hank  jumped  and  stopped  abruptly  in  the  midst 
of  the  sentence  he  had  begun.  Evidently  the  dis- 
cipline of  Big  Ike  was  as  severe  as  his  hand  was 
heavy. 

The  two  boys,  without  another  word  but  with 
many  "  eloquent "  glances  at  each  other,  now  caught 
hold  of  the  short  piece  of  log  they  were  about  to 
carry  to  the  house  and  hurried  with  it  to  where 


178  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Big  Ike  and  the  men  stood  ready  to  lift  it  into  its 
place  in  the  wall. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  good-natured  rivalry 
among  the  men  and  the  boys  to  see  who  could  do 
their  work  the  fastest;  and,  under  the  spur  of  this 
rivalry,  the  building  of  the  house  went  on  apace. 
By  noon  the  walls  were  up  —  the  building  was  to 
be  a  story  and  a  half  high  —  and  the  timbers  to 
support  the  floor  of  the  upper  story  were  in  place. 

During  this  time  Mrs.  Clay  and  the  women  folk 
had  not  been  idle.  They  had  arranged  the  big  table 
in  front  of  the  half -faced  camp,  built  three  or  four 
cooking  fires,  had  broiled  great  pieces  of  venison 
and  bear  meat  and  roasted  three  wild  turkeys  whole ; 
and  now  they  had  placed  all  these  savory  meats, 
together  with  the  pies,  cakes,  bread,  and  other  eat- 
ables, brought  in  the  hospitable  baskets,  on  the  table. 
Mrs.  Clay,  with  a  final  glance  over  this  tempting 
array,  turned  to  Ruth  and  bade  her  go  and  tell  her 
father  that  the  dinner  was  ready. 

"  Gosh,  that's  good  news ! "  exclaimed  Silas,  the 
moment  he  heard  Ruth's  message.  "  I'm  as  hungry 
as  a  b'ar.  Dinner!  Come  on,  boys!"  and,  drop- 
ping his  tools,  he  led  the  way  to  the  spring,  to  wash, 

The  men  and  the  boys  ate  while  the  women  and 
the  girls  waited  on  them.  After  dinner  there  was 
half  an  hour  of  smoking,  talking,  and  story-telling, 
and  then  to  work  again  with  renewed  energy. 

The  roof  poles  were  now  firmly  tied  in  their 
places — no  nails  were  used  in  the  building  of  this 
house  —  and  long  strips  of  bark,  one  overlapping 


Building  the  Log  House  179 

the  other,  were  laid  over  these  and  fastened  down, 
until  a  water-tight  roof  had  been  made.  The  walls 
and  the  roof  of  the  house  were  now  completed. 
Openings  had  been  left  in  the  walls  for  the  door 
and  a  window  in  each  end  and  in  each  side,  and  for 
the  big  fireplace  with  its  outside  chimney.  Clay 
and  water  were  now  mixed,  in  a  small  pit  dug  in 
the  ground,  until  a  sort  of  mortar  was  formed, 
and  a  man  who  had  been  a  mason,  with  this  mortar 
and  stones,  built  a  rude  but  serviceable  fireplace. 
The  chimney  to  the  fireplace  was  constructed  outside 
the  house,  out  of  sticks  of  wood,  and  thickly  plas- 
tered inside  and  out  with  clay. 

There  were  many  holes  between  the  rough  logs 
that  made  up  the  walls  of  the  house,  and  a  row  of 
these  holes,  at  the  right  height,  were  enlarged  and 
left  all  around  the  house,  to  be  used  as  loopholes 
in  case  the  building  should  be  attacked  by  Indians. 
All  the  other  openings  were  "chinked  up."  This 
was  done  by  driving  bits  of  wood  tightly  into  them. 
Then  all  the  remaining  spaces  between  the  logs, 
inside  and  out,  were  filled  in  with  clay-cats  —  made 
by  mixing  the  clay-mortar  and  grass  together  into 
rough  bricks  —  and  were  smoothly  plastered  over 
with  clay. 

Big  Tom  and  Gideon  had  split  and  hewn  out  of 
logs  enough  rough  boards  to  cover  the  ground  floor 
and  the  floor  to  the  upper  chamber,  and  these  were 
now  laid  in  their  places.  This  roughly  completed 
the  work  of  the  house  raising  and  left  the  building 
practically  finished. 


i8o  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

When  the  last  bit  of  work  was  done,  Abe  Dixon 
mounted  a  log  and  called  for  three  cheers  for  the 
new  settlers  and  their  new  home.  Everybody,  men, 
women,  and  children,  cheered. 

Then  Big  Tom  stood  up  on  the  log  and  thanked 
them  all  for  their  help  and  invited  all  to  remain  for 
a  little  jollification  by  way  of  celebrating  the  occa- 
sion and  to  get  better  acquainted  with  one  another. 
This,  as  everybody  knew,  meant  music  and  dancing 
and  the  more  strenuous  games  and  sports  of  the 
men,  and  all  began  to  make  ready  for  the  fun. 


Everybody  present,  even  Silas  Wegg,  was  dancing 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  GREAT  WRESTLING  MATCH 

ET  out  your  fiddle,  Daddy  Jones,  and  give 
us  a  dancing  tune!"  one  of  the  young  men 
called,  the  moment  Big  Tom  stepped  down  from 
the  log. 

Daddy  Jones  nodded  and  smiled,  his  face  lighting 
up,  as  his  long  thin  fingers  hastily  opened  the  case 
and  lifted  out  his  beloved  fiddle. 

In  five  minutes  more  a  level  spot  of  ground  in 
front  of  the  new  house  had  been  cleared,  and 
Daddy  Jones,  seated  on  a  chair  that  had  been  placed 
on  top  of  a  table  at  one  end  of  the  cleared  space, 
lifted  his  fiddle  to  his  chin  and  glanced  around. 

"Choose  partners!"  he  called,  in  a  shrill,  high- 
pitched  voice,  and  drove  the  fiddle-bow  across  the 
strings. 

" Come  on!  We'll  set  the  pace! "  and  Big  Tom 
threw  one  arm  around  his  wife  and  swung  her, 
laughing  and  protesting  that  she  had  not  danced  a 
step  for  ten  years,  out  on  the  dance  ground. 

A  minute  more  and  everybody  present,  even  Silas 
Wegg,  was  dancing  to  the  mad  music  of  Daddy 
Jones,  who  played  as  if  all  the  imps  of  dancing 
were  in  his  fiddle  strings. 

For  an  hour  or  more  the  dancing  continued; 
then  the  older  folks  began  gradually  to  quit,  the 

181 


1 82  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

men  gathering,  as  if  by  prearrangement,  around 
Big  Tom  Clay  and  Big  Ike  Conrad. 

"Now  we'll  see  what  yewr  dad  is  good  fer!" 
Hank  Conrad  turned  a  flushing  face  to  Gideon, 
whose  eyes  had  anxiously  followed  the  gathering 
men.  "  They're  goin'  tew  wrestle,  an'  yew'd  better 
pray  fer  a  soft  spot  fer  yewr  dad  tew  land  on. 
Dad  broke  th'  arm  an'  cracked  tew  ribs  o'  th'  last 
feller  he  wrestled  with,"  he  added,  with  a  trium- 
phant grin;  "an'  he's  liable  tew  dew  more'n  that 
tew  yewr  dad." 

"If  he  can,"  Gideon  answered,  quietly,  though 
his  eyes  were  beginning  to  glint.  "  But  it  will  take 
more  than  big  words  to  throw  dad;  and  more  than 
big  words  to  throw  me,"  and  his  eyes  flashed  chal- 
lengingly  up  into  the  face  of  Hank. 

"  Huh ! "  Hank  scowled,  angrily.  "  Still  wantin' 
tew  git  yewr  neck  broke,  be  yew?  Wai,"  and  an 
ugly  light  came  into  his  eyes,  "  I'm  ready  right  now 
an'  right  here  tew  break  it  fer  yew;  so  shut  up  or 
peel  off  yer  coat,"  and  he  began  jerking  off  his 
own  coat. 

Before  he  had  finished  speaking,  Gideon's  coat 
was  off  his  back.  Hank,  by  this  time,  had  worked 
himself  up  into  a  great  rage  and  the  moment  he 
had  his  coat  off  he  sprang  straight  for  Gideon,  with- 
out a  word  of  warning,  doubtless  intending  to  take 
him  unawares  and  to  hurl  him  so  violently  to  the 
ground  that  he  would  not  be  fit  for  another  bout. 
But,  if  such  were  his  expectations,  they  were 
doomed  to  sudden  failure ;  for,  as  he  leaped,  a  long 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  183 

arm  shot  out  and  an  iron  hand  caught  him  by  the 
shoulder  and  he  turned  to  glower  up  into  the  face 
of  Silas  Wegg,  who  had  quietly  stepped  up  behind 
the  two  excited  boys. 

"Not  so  sudden,  son,"  and  Silas  held  the  angry 
boy  firmly.  "  Yew' re  a  human,  not  a  bull,  an'  thar 
ain't  no  rushin'  nor  hookin',  accordin'  tew  wrestlin' 
rules,  so  far  as  I  know.  Now,  jest  hold  yewr 
hosses  'til  we  gits  things  fixed  proper,  an'  I  reckon 
Gid'll  give  yew  all  th'  tussle  yew  want.  S'posin'  I 
dew  th'  refereein'.  Eny  objections?"  He  glanced 
around  the  circle  of  men  and  boys,  the  women  and 
girls  in  the  background,  that  had  quickly  formed 
around  the  three.  There  were  no  objections.  All 
knew  Silas,  and  all  knew  that  his  decisions  would 
be  fair. 

"  Good.  Now,"  and  Silas  turned  to  the  two  boys, 
"two  falls  out  o'  three  wins  th'  match,  catch-as- 
catch-kin.  When  I  say  'Ready/  go  to  it.  Shake 
hands  an'  keep  yewr  tempers,"  and  he  pushed  Hank 
toward  Gideon. 

Gideon  promptly  extended  his  hand,  and,  after  a 
moment's  hesitation,  Hank  took  it.  The  two  boys 
shook  hands  and  stepped  back  a  pace  and  stood 
ready,  their  eyes  fixed  warily  on  each  other. 

At  first  sight  it  looked  as  if  the  contest  would 
be  an  ill-matched  one,  for  Hank  Conrad  was  at 
least  a  couple  of  years  older  than  Gideon  and  had 
the  huge  bulk  and  bull-like  strength  and  build  of 
his  father;  but,  when  one  studied  the  well-built 
and  splendidly  muscled  frame  of  Gideon,  though 


184  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

far  less  bulky  than  that  of  his  antagonist,  and  espe- 
cially when  one  noted  the  keen  intelligence  of  his 
eyes  and  the  resolute  look  of  his  face,  the  contest, 
after  all,  did  not  appear  so  unequal ;  for  brains  and 
grit  count  in  wrestling  quite  as  much  as  muscle  does. 

"  Now,"  and  Silas  glanced  around  the  circle  to 
see  that  there  was  plenty  of  room  for  the  wrestlers, 
and  back  to  the  faces  of  the  two  boys.  "Ready! 
Go  to  it!" 

The  moment  the  words  were  out  of  Silas's  mouth, 
Hank  jumped  for  Gideon  and  endeavored  to  get 
both  underholds;  but  Gideon,  lighter  and  quicker 
on  his  feet,  sprang  a  little  to  one  side,  bent  down, 
and  the  next  instant  he  had  both  arms  around  his 
bulky  antagonist  and  his  hands  clasped  together  in 
a  hard  knot  in  the  small  of  his  back.  A  sudden 
violent  squeeze  of  his  two  strong  arms,  his  knotted 
hands  pressed  tightly  into  the  small  of  the  back,  a 
quick  backward  trip  of  his  right  foot,  a  thrust  for- 
ward of  his  whole  body  into  which  he  put  all  his 
young  strength,  and,  before  Hank  knew  what  was 
happening,  he  was  flat  on  his  back  on  the  ground, 
with  Gideon  on  top  of  him. 

"Fust  fall!  Won  by  Gideon  Clay!"  shouted 
Silas,  while  the  surrounding  men  and  boys  and  even 
the  women  and  the  girls  cheered.  It  was  easy  to 
see  who  was  the  more  popular  of  the  two  boys. 

"Git  up  an'  git  ready  for  th'  next  bout,"  and 
Silas  pulled  the  still  struggling  lads  apart. 

"Yew  lunkhead!"  muttered  Big  Ike,  his  face 
flushing  angrily,  as  he  stepped  forward  and  jerked 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  185 

Hank  to  his  feet.  "If  yew  let  him  play  that  trick 
on  yew  ag'in,  I'll  lick  th'  hide  off  yew.  Dew  yew 
hear,  I'll  lick  th'  hide  off  yew?  Now  go  in  an' 
win,"  and  he  thrust  him  toward  Gideon,  who  had 
arisen  and  stood  breathing  heavily  from  his  sudden, 
violent  exertions,  at  the  same  time  flushing  redly 
from  his  triumph. 

Hank's  face  was  pale  with  anger  and  he  would 
have  sprung  at  once  at  Gideon,  if  the  hand  of  Silas 
had  not  again  caught  him  and  pulled  him  back. 

"Hold  yewr  temper!  Hold  yewr  temper,  son! 
Now,  all  ready  for  th'  second  bout,"  and  Silas 
paused  a  moment  and  glanced  at  the  faces  of  the 
two  boys,  who  stood,  each  with  eyes  watching  the 
other,  ready  to  spring  at  the  word  go. 

"  Ready !  Go ! "  shouted  Silas,  jumping  back  so 
as  to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  struggling  wrestlers. 

This  time  both  boys  stooped  low,  so  that  neither 
secured  an  advantageous  hold  at  the  first  rush. 
Then  began  a  furious  struggle,  each  endeavoring 
to  get  his  favorite  hold.  Suddenly  Hank  saw  his 
opportunity.  He  bent  swiftly  downward,  caught 
Gideon  around  both  legs,  thrust  his  bull-like  head 
and  neck  between  them,  and  heaved  upward  and 
backward  with  all  his  strength. 

Gideon  shot  backward  over  the  head  of  Hank 
and,  turning  over,  landed  on  his  back  with  a  sick- 
ening thud  and  lay  still,  the  breath,  for  the  moment, 
knocked  out  of  his  body. 

"Second  fall!  Won  by  Hank  Conrad,"  Silas 
said,  mechanically,  and  bent  over  Gideon. 


1 86  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

There  was  no  cheering.  The  fall  had  been  won 
in  the  most  cruel  and  dangerous  manner  allowable 
in  wrestling,  a  way  used  only  by  the  desperate  and 
the  brutal;  and,  apparently,  Big  Ike  Conrad  was 
the  only  one  present  who  approved.  He  stepped 
to  the  side  of  Hank  and  slapped  him  on  the  back. 

"  That's  th'  way  tew  dew  it,  son,"  he  declared. 
"  Reckon  he  won't  want  no  more  o'  th'  Conrad  style 
o'  wrestlinY'  and,  with  a  coarse  laugh,  he  glanced 
to  where  Gideon  lay. 

But  he  had  counted  without  considering  the  Clay 
grit  and  pluck;  for,  as  he  spoke,  Gideon  jumped 
to  his  feet,  refusing  the  assistance  of  Silas  and 
Big  Tom,  who  had  hurried  to  his  side,  and  turned 
promptly  to  Big  Ike. 

"  Shucks,  the  fall  only  knocked  the  breath  out  of 
my  body,"  he  said;  "and  now  that  I  do  know  the 
style  of  Conrad  wrestling  I  am  ready  for  some 
more  of  it  right  now.  He  won't  catch  me  that  way 
again." 

"  Bully  for  you ! "  and  Big  Tom,  with  a  glance  of 
pride  in  his  face,  laid  his  hand  on  Gideon's  shoul- 
der. "Now,  just  keep  your  temper  and  your  wits 
and  I'll  bet  on  you  yet." 

"Third  and  last  bout!"  called  Silas.  "Ready, 
yunks?" 

Gideon's  face  was  white  and  his  lips  were  drawn 
tightly  together  and  there  was  a  determined  glint 
in  his  eyes.  Evidently  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
win  that  next  bout. 

The  look  of  confidence  had  come  back  on  the  face 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  187 

of  Hank.  He  could  not  resist  triumphant  glances 
around  the  circle.  Indeed,  his  looks  and  actions 
seemed  to  say :  "  Now  watch  me.  See  how  easily 
I'll  take  the  conceit  out  of  this  young  upstart  from 
Ohio." 

Both  boys  nodded  "  yes  "  to  the  query  of  Silas. 

"  Go  to  it,  then ! "  he  called. 

With  the  quickness  of  a  wildcat  Gideon  leaped 
forward,  and,  the  next  instant,  his  strong  young 
arms,  with  his  fists  knotted  together  in  the  small  of 
the  back,  were  again  clasped  around  the  bulky  form 
of  his  antagonist,  whose  overconfidence  had  been  his 
undoing  and  had  allowed  Gideon  again  to  secure 
his  favorite  hold.  Before  Hank  could  recover  from 
the  impetuosity  of  the  attack,  he  found  himself,  in 
spite  of  his  bulk  and  strength,  lifted  off  his  feet 
and  hurled  backward  and  his  shoulders  and  hips 
pressed  to  the  ground. 

"Third  and  last  fall!  Won  by  Gideon  Clay!" 
shouted  Silas,  "which  gives  Gid  two  falls  out  o* 
three  an'  makes  him  th'  winner  o'  this  here  wrestlin' 
match.  Hurrah  for  Gid  Clay!"  and  he  jerked  off 
his  coonskin  cap  and  swung  it  around  his  head  and 
yelled  his  hurrahs  at  the  top  of  his  voice;  and  he 
did  not  yell  alone. 

Hank  picked  up  his  coat  and  slunk  back  sullenly 
among  the  crowd,  muttering  that  he  had  not  been 
thrown  fair.  His  was  not  the  nature  to  accept 
defeat  gracefully,  no  matter  how  justly  deserved. 

Gideon  quickly  put  on  his  coat,  a  satisfied  smile 
on  his  face,  and  turned  to  his  father. 


1 88  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"Now,  Dad,  it's  your  turn,"  he  grinned,  as  he 
glanced  to  where  Big  Ike  stood. 

Big  Ike  saw  the  swift  glance  in  his  direction  and 
the  grin  accompanying  Gideon's  words,  and  the 
scowl  on  his  red  face  deepened.  He  could  not  hear 
the  words,  but  he  understood  their  purport,  for  all 
during  the  day  there  had  been  hints  that  he  would 
be  called  on  to  defend  his  claim  that  he  was  the 
champion  wrestler  of  northern  Illinois.  Instinc- 
tively, he  felt  that  Gideon's  look  and  words  and 
grin  were  aimed  at  him  and  his  championship 
claims.  For  a  moment  he  glared  back  at  Gideon, 
then  throwing  back  his  head  and  swelling  out  his 
chest  and  proudly  stiffening  his  huge  frame,  he 
stepped  into  the  opening  still  formed  by  the  circle 
of  men  about  the  spot  where  Gideon  and  Hank  had 
wrestled. 

"I'm  half  buffler,  half  b'ar,  touched  with  a  leetle 
tiger,"  he  began,  after  the  curiously  boastful  manner 
of  backwoods  bullies  of  those  days,  as  he  flour- 
ished his  arms  and  pounded  his  chest;  "shaggy 
'bout  th'  neck  as  a  bull,  lively  as  a  painter,  strong 
as  a  gorriller.  I  pull  up  trees  by  th'  roots,  push  over 
mount'ins,  an*  kin  squeeze  th'  ribs  o'  an  elephant 
till  they  crack.  I  kin  jump  'cross  th'  Mississippi, 
pick  my  teeth  with  a  flash  o'  lightnin',  an'  straddle 
a  hurricane  like  a  hoss.  I  see  red,  drink  blood,  an' 
kin  throw  my  weight  in  live  wildcats,  with  a  couple 
o'  b'ar  thrown  in  fer  good  measure.  Now,  if  thar 
be  eny  one  here  that  wants  his  ribs  cracked,  his 
bones  broke,  an'  his  body  crushed  till  it  feels  as  if 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  189 

it  had  been  runned  over  by  a  forty-ton  roller,  let 
him  step  forth  right  now  and  here/'  and  he  paused 
and  glared  around  the  little  circle  of  faces,  ending 
with  a  challenging  glance  in  the  direction  of  Big 
Tom,  who,  during  this  remarkable  rhapsody,  had 
stood  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  face. 

*  'T would  be  too  bad  for  you  to  waste  all  of  that 
big  talk,"  Big  Tom  said,  his  eyes  twinkling,  when 
Big  Ike  ceased  speaking;  "and  so,  just  to  give  you 
a  chance  to  show  us  how  you  crack  ribs,  break 
bones,  and  crush  bodies,  I'll  give  you  a  little  tussle, 
so  be  it  you  are  willing,"  and,  taking  off  his  coat 
and  rolling  up  his  sleeves,  he  stepped  into  the  ring 
and  confronted  Big  Ike. 

Silas  was  again  chosen  referee. 

Every  man,  woman,  and  child  now  crowded 
around  the  two  men,  some  of  those  in  the  rear  stand- 
ing upon  chairs  and  tables,  for  a  wrestling  match 
between  two  such  champions  as  Big  Tom  Clay  and 
Big  Ike  Conrad  would  be  a  sight  to  be  long  talked 
of  around  their  humble  hearths. 

Both  men  were  of  huge  proportions.  Big  Ike 
was  the  taller,  and  the  broader  and  bulkier  of  the 
two,  with  massive  shoulders  and  huge  arms  and 
pillarlike  legs,  wrapped  round  with  knots  and  bands 
of  iron  muscles  —  a  veritable  giant  in  size  and 
strength.  But,  as  the  keen  eyes  of  Gideon  had 
noted,  he  looked  heavy,  his  eyes  were  red  and  the 
flesh  under  them  puffed  up,  as  if  he  ate  and  drank 
too  much.  Big  Tom,  on  the  other  hand,  although 
not  so  massively  built,  was  all  clean,  hard  muscle, 


i  go  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

strung  on  a  solidly  boned  and  splendidly  propor- 
tioned frame.  His  eyes  were  clear  and  keen  and 
his  face  firm-skinned.  He  drank  no  liquor  and 
ate  only  to  satisfy  his  hunger.  Without  question, 
Big  Ike  had  the  strength  and  the  bulk.  It  remained 
to  be  seen  if  he  had  the  skill,  agility,  and  endur- 
ance. These  Big  Tom  had;  it  needed  but  a  glance 
into  his  clear  eyes  and  at  his  lithe,  muscular  frame 
to  tell  this.  Man  to  man,  they  were  a  rare  match; 
it  would  be  a  contest  of  Titans. 

The  long  arms  of  Silas  promptly  cleared  ample 
space  around  the  two  men. 

"  Catch-as-catch-kin,  tew  falls  out  o'  three  wins 
th'  match,"  he  announced,  after  a  moment's  consul- 
tation with  the  principals.  "  Git  ready,"  and  he 
turned  to  Big  Tom  and  Big  Ike. 

The  two  big  men  now  stood  facing  each  other, 
a  yard  apart. 

"Shake  hands,"  commanded  Silas. 

The  two  hands  gripped  promptly. 

"  I'm  goin'  tew  break  yew  in  tew,"  muttered  Big 
Ike,  an  ugly  look  in  his  eyes,  as  he  gave  Big  Tom's 
hand  a  violent  squeeze. 

"  Shore,"  grinned  Big  Tom,  returning  the 
squeeze,  "  if  I'll  let  you." 

"  Ready ! "  warned  Silas. 

The  two  men  crouched  and  fixed  their  eyes  each 
on  the  other. 

"Go  to  it!"  shouted  Silas,  springing  back  out 
of  the  way  of  those  two  big  bodies. 

Big  Tom,  quicker  on  his  feet,  jumped  at  the  word. 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  191 

Big  Ike,  warily  awaited  his  attack. 

Then,  for  a  few  moments,  the  arms  and  the 
bodies  of  the  two  men  bent  and  twisted  swiftly, 
each  striving  to  seize  the  other  advantageously. 
Suddenly  Big  Tom  clinched,  with  his  right  arm 
thrown  around  the  bull-like  neck.  He  gave  a  ter- 
rible wrench  and  a  violent  shove  against  the  bulky 
body. 

The  muscles  on  Big  Ike's  neck  stood  out  like 
red-hot  bolts  of  iron,  his  huge  arms  gripped  them- 
selves around  the  body  of  Big  Tom,  until  the 
straining  muscles  lay  like  knotted  ropes;  and  then, 
with  a  sudden  hip  and  knee  movement  and  an  up- 
ward thrust  with  his  right  arm,  he  broke  the  crush- 
ing, choking  hold  around  his  neck,  swung  his  right 
foot  behind  the  foot  of  Big  Tom,  and  the  two  men 
went  to  the  ground,  Big  Ike  on  top;  but,  even  as 
he  fell,  Big  Tom  gave  his  body  a  swift,  twisting 
whirl  and  landed  on  his  hands  and  knees,  saved  by 
his  wonderful  agility. 

Big  Ike  had  the  skill ! 

For  the  next  few  minutes  the  evolutions  and 
the  contortions  of  the  two  men  were  so  swift  that 
no  eye  could  follow  them.  Now  one  was  on  top, 
now  the  other. 

Suddenly  —  no  one  could  see  how  it  was  done  — 
Big  Tom's  feet  flew  out  from  under  him,  and, 
before  he  could  recover  himself,  Big  Ike  had  whirled 
him  over  on  his  back  and  forced  his  shoulders  and 
hips  to  the  ground. 

"  Fust  fall ! "  called  Silas,  jumping  forward  and 


1 92  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

laying  his  hands  on  the  two  men.     "Won  by  Ike 
Conrad.    Git  up  an'  git  ready  for  th'  second  bout." 

The  two  men  arose  slowly  to  their  feet  and  eyed 
each  other  with  increased  respect.  Each  had  found 
a  foeman  worthy  of  his  muscle  and  skill.  Both 
were  breathing  heavily,  but  it  was  easy  to  see  that 
the  violent  exertions  had  told  most  on  Big  Ike. 

Silas  gave  them  a  couple  of  minutes  breathing 
space. 

"I'll  git  yew  quicker  next  time,"  boasted  Big 
Ike,  the  moment  he  had  recovered  his  breath  suffi- 
ciently to  talk.  "  I  know  your  tricks  now." 

"And  dad  knows  yours,"  promptly  retorted 
Gideon,  who  had  hurried  to  his  father  the  moment 
the  bout  was  over. 

"So  I  do,"  grinned  Big  Tom.  "And,  I  reckon, 
it's  up  to  me  to  win  the  next  bout.  But  you  shore 
are  a  powerful  wrestler,"  and  his  eyes  dwelt  in 
honest  admiration  on  the  huge  frame  of  his  antag- 
onist. 

"  Time's  up ! "  called  Silas.    "  Git  ready." 

"  Now  do  your  durndest,  Dad.  I  know  you  can 
throw  him,"  and  Gideon  gave  his  father's  hand  a 
quick  squeeze  and  darted  back  to  the  edge  of  the 
ring. 

"Didn't  I  tell  yew  my  dad  could  throw  yewr 
dad?" 

Gideon  turned  quickly  to  find  that  he  had  chanced 
to  stop  in  the  edge  of  the  ring  directly  by  the  side 
of  Hank  Conrad. 

"Now  jest  watch  him  break  yewr  dad  in  tew, 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  193 

same  as  I'd  done  yew,  if  my  foot  hadn't  slipped/' 
and  the  scowl  on  Hank's  face  deepened. 

"Shucks,  your  foot  didn't  slip  and  dad'll  — " 

At  that  moment  Silas  gave  the  word  for  the  bout 
to  begin  and  Gideon,  in  his  anxiety  to  see  its  begin- 
ning, never  finished  that  sentence. 

The  crowd  around  the  two  men  were  now  almost 
breathless  with  interest.  Never  before  had  they 
witnessed  two  such  powerful  men  so  equally 
matched  in  a  wrestling  contest.  They  did  not  yell. 
Their  excitement  and  interest  were  too  great,  their 
eyes  too  intent  in  following  every  movement  of 
the  men,  to  yell.  And  the  struggle  now  taking  place 
was  well  worth  their  watching! 

Big  Tom,  from  the  word  go,  had  taken  the  offen- 
sive, and  never  for  an  instant  did  he  allow  the 
strenuous  pace  he  had  set  to  slacken.  One  moment 
he  would  be  down  and  the  next  instant  Big  Ike 
would  be  putting  forth  all  his  strength  and  skill 
to  keep  his  shoulders  and  hips  from  touching  the 
ground.  For  ten  minutes  this  furious  struggle  con- 
tinued, without  either  man  gaining  any  decisive 
advantage.  Then,  suddenly,  Big  Tom  got  the  hold 
he  wanted,  a  hold  similar  to  what  is  known  as  the 
half -Nelson.  In  vain  Big  Ike  struggled,  struggled 
until  the  muscles  and  cords  of  his  neck  and  back 
showed  beneath  the  hot  skin  like  bands  of  hot  iron. 
He  could  not  break  the  hold.  The  strength  of  Big 
Tom  was  too  great  for  that.  He  could  not  resist 
the  killing  pressure  on  his  back  and  neck,  and, 
slowly  at  first,  then  with  a  sudden  flop  that  brought 


194  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

a  grunt  out  of  his  body,  his  shoulders  and  hips 
were  forced  to  the  ground. 

"  Second  fall ! "  shouted  Silas,  a  jubilant  note  in 
his  voice.  "  Won  by  Big  Tom  Clay.  Break  away ! " 
and,  jumping  to  the  still  struggling  men,  he  pulled 
them  apart. 

"I  knew  you  could  do  it,  Dad!  I  knew  you 
could  do  it ! "  Gideon,  who  had  again  run  to  his 
father's  side  the  moment  the  bout  was  over,  caught 
hold  of  one  of  Big  Tom's  hands  and  shook  it 
excitedly. 

"  I  shore  had  to  work  to  do  it,  son,"  panted  Big 
Tom,  a  happy  grin  on  his  face.  "  You  are  the  most 
powerful  man  I  ever  wrestled  with,"  he  said,  gen- 
erously, turning  to  Big  Ike.  "  I  feared  I'd  have 
to  break  your  neck  afore  I  could  get  you  to  flop 


over." 


"  An'  I  thought  yew  was  a-goin'  tew,"  responded 
Big  Ike,  while  an  ugly  look  came  into  his  eyes  and 
his  face  flushed  angrily.  Evidently  he  was  no 
better  a  loser  than  was  his  boy.  "But  thar's  an- 
uther  bout  comin'  an'  I'll  show  yew  that  tew  kin 
play  at  that  game." 

"You  are  welcome  to,  if  you  can,"  answered 
Big  Tom,  his  face  hardening.  "The  hold  was  a 
fair  hold  and  if  you  can  get  it  on  me  you  won't 
find  me  growling  about  it  afterwards." 

"I  ain't  growlin',"  and  the  angry  flush  on  Big 
Ike's  face  deepened;  "an'  yew  needn't  insinerate 
I  be,  or  I'll  — "  he  doubled  up  a  hamlike  fist  and 
shook  it.  "  I  kin  lick  yew  or  eny  uther  man  from 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  195 

Ohier  that  ever  wore  boot  leather  th'  best  day  yew 
or  he  ever  seed.  I  —  " 

"Hold  yewr  temper,  Ike,"  and  the  long  arm  of 
Silas  suddenly  reached  out  and  caught  the  threat- 
ening fist;  "an'  save  yewr  wind.  Now  git  ready 
for  th'  last  bout;  and  remember"  —  a  dangerous 
glint  came  into  his  eyes  —  "no  eye-gougin',  nor 
kickin',  nor  buttin'.  Git  intew  position ! "  he  com- 
manded, sharply,  as  he  noticed  that  Big  Ike  was 
about  to  answer.  "  An'  may  th'  best  man  win !  Go 
to  it! "  He  leaped  out  o£  the  way  of  the  two  men, 
who  rushed  each  other  the  moment  the  word  was 
uttered,  like  two  mad  bulls. 

Big  Ike,  as  he  jumped,  suddenly  bent  his  head. 

"Look  out!"  yelled  Gideon,  who  remembered 
the  trick  Hank  had  played  on  him. 

But  his  warning  came  too  late,  or  was  unheeded, 
for  already  the  bull-like  neck  was  between  Big 
Tom's  legs  and  the  ironlike  arms  were  gripped  about 
his  knees  and  the  great  body  was  heaving  upward, 
with  all  the  force  that  rage  could  give  the  muscular 
back  and  arms. 

Gideon  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm  as  Big  Tom  shot 
upward  over  the  back  of  Big  Ike,  and  the  cry  was 
echoed  by  all  standing  near,  for  it  did  not  seem 
possible  that  so  heavy  a  body  could  be  thus  hurled 
through  the  air  to  the  ground  without  serious  hurt. 

It  was  the  same  brutal  trick  that  Hank  had 
played  on  Gideon,  but,  to  the  surprise  of  all,  the 
result  was  not  the  same. 

Evidently  the  act  of  Hank  had  put  Big  Tom  on 


196  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

his  guard  against  a  similar  one  on  the  part  of  Big 
Ike,  for,  at  the  instant  of  the  heaving  of  his  body 
upward,  he  clapped  his  legs  tightly  together  around 
the  bull-like  neck  and  under  the  red-whiskered  chin, 
with  the  result  that  the  momentum  of  his  body,  his 
legs  catching  and  holding  under  the  chin,  jerked 
Big  Ike  violently  over  backward  and  downward  to 
the  ground,  Big  Tom  falling  forward  on  his  hands, 
his  legs  still  about  the  neck  of  Big  Ike. 

So  sudden,  so  unexpected  was  this  result,  that, 
almost  before  the  startled  onlookers  had  caught 
their  breath,  Big  Tom  had  whirled  about  and  had 
pressed  the  shoulders  and  the  hips  of  the  half- 
stunned  Big  Ike  to  the  ground ;  and  the  great  wres- 
tling match,  a  match  that  was  talked  of  for  a 
generation,  was  over. 

"Gosh,  I  never  seed  enythin'  like  that  afore! 
Yew  old  bull  elephant ! "  and  Silas,  the  moment  he 
had  announced  his  decision,  gripped  the  hand  of 
Big  Tom. 

"  I  knew  you'd  win,  Dad !  I  knew  you'd  win ! " 
and  the  delighted  Gideon  gripped  the  other  hand 
of  his  father,  while  all  the  others  crowded  around 
to  congratulate  him  and  to  tell  him  how  astonished 
they  had  been  at  the  sudden  and  unexpected  ending 
of  the  match. 

Big  Ike  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  an  ugly  scowl 
on  his  red  face,  and,  grumbling  and  growling  some- 
thing about  its  not  being  a  fair  fall,  slunk  off,  fol- 
lowed by  Hank.  A  short  time  afterward  he 
gathered  his  family  together  and  started  for  home, 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  197 

notwithstanding  the  cordial  urging  of  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Clay  for  him  to  stay  and  "  see  the  day  out " 
with  them. 

Running  races  and  jumping  and  shooting  matches 
were  now  held,  and,  when  it  became  dark  enough, 
some  of  the  men  tried  their  skill  at  "snuffing  the 
candle"  with  their  rifle  bullets  at  thirty  paces. 

Silas,  to  his  chuckling  delight,  won  at  running, 
jumping,  and  shooting,  Big  Tom  ranking  next. 
Gideon  proved  to  be  the  best  shot  and  the  fastest 
runner  among  the  boys,  and  Mrs.  Clay  won  the 
woman's  shooting  match,  to  the  very  evident  satis- 
faction of  Gideon  and  Ruth. 

As  soon  as  it  became  dark  the  young  men  and 
the  boys  built  a  huge  camp  fire,  and  all  gathered 
around  it  to  talk  over  the  exciting  events  of  the  day, 
swap  experiences,  sing  songs,  tell  stories,  and  have  a 
general  good  time. 

Among  the  stories,  Big  Tom  told  of  the  coming, 
the  night  of  the  big  storm,  of  Brighteyes,  the  Indian 
girl,  with  her  little  baby;  and  how  the  next  day, 
when  her  husband,  Great  Thunder,  and  Storm 
Cloud  came  after  her,  they  found  out  that  she  was 
the  daughter  of  Black  Hawk  himself. 

"And,"  broke  in  Ruth,  her  eyes  dancing  with 
excitement,  "she  gave  me  a  little  black  hawk  and 
told  me  to  wear  it  always  around  my  neck,  and  that 
no  Indian  would  dare  hurt  me  if  I  had  it  on,  be- 
cause it  was  the  totem  of  her  father,  the  great 
chief,  Black  Hawk;  and  here  it  is,"  and  she  pulled 
the  little  black  stone,  rudely  carved  into  the  sem- 


ig8  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

blance  of  a  hawk,  out  from  under  the  bosom  of 
her  dress  and  held  it  up  where  all  could  see. 

"Let's  have  a  look  at  it,"  and  Old  Man  Kellogg 
eagerly  stretched  out  his  hand  and,  taking  the  totem 
from  Ruth,  examined  it  closely. 

"  It  shore  is  Black  Hawk's  totem,"  he  said.  "  I've 
seen  it  afore.  Indians  have  a  powerful  lot  of  faith 
in  their  totems.  Think  they  bring  them  good  luck, 
ward  off  dangers  and  such  things.  Besides  they 
sort  of  look  upon  them  as  sacred  emblems  of  their 
tribe  or  chief  and  consider  all  who  wear  them  as 
under  their  special  protection  and  are  ready  to  de- 
fend them  with  their  lives.  Howsomever,"  and 
his  face  sobered,  "  I  hope  you'll  never  be  called  on 
to  test  its  worth.  Black  Hawk  and  his  Indians 
have  settled  down  for  the  summer,  but  they  are 
as  touchy  as  a  bear  with  the  itch  and  there  ain't  no 
telling  when  some  fool  white  will  do  som'thing  to 
rile  them  again." 

"  Right,"  assented  Abe  Dixon,  Big  Tom's  neigh- 
bor, twenty  miles  to  the  north.  "  Black  Hawk  and 
his  Indians  sure  are  some  irritable  and  there's  bound 
to  be  trouble  atween  them  and  the  whites  afore 
long,  that  only  the  tomahawk  and  the  rifle  can  settle. 
I  heered  the  Hawk  had  vowed  that  he'd  never  be 
driven  out  of  his  village  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rock 
River,  where  he  was  born  and  where  his  ancestors 
were  buried,  across  the  Mississippi,  without  a  fight ; 
and  the  whites  are  wanting  that  identickle  village 
right  now  and  they  are  a-going  to  take  it,  Black 
Hawk  or  no  Black  Hawk;  and  then,"  an  anxious 


The  Great  Wrestling  Match  199 

look  came  on  his  face,  "we  settlers  will  have  to 
stand  the  brunt  of  the  trouble.  You  sure  are  wise," 
he  said  to  Big  Tom,  "  to  make  your  house  good  and 
strong,  with  plenty  of  loopholes  for  your  rifles  all 
around  it.  But  what's  the  use  of  looking  for  trouble 
afore  it  comes?  It  shore  will  come  plenty  soon 
enough.  Now,"  and  he  turned  to  the  women  folks, 
"you  girls  just  give  us  another  song  and  then  we 
must  be  going.  Twill  be  after  midnight  now  afore 
we  get  home." 

The  song  was  sung,  the  men  joining  in  on  the 
chorus,  with  the  spirit  and  feeling  possible  only 
under  such  circumstances,  and  then  the  merry  com- 
pany broke  up,  all  declaring  that  never  before  had 
they  been  to  a  house  raising  where  they  had  had 
such  a  good  time ;  and  each,  as  he  drove  off,  giving 
Big  Tom  and  family  a  warm  invitation  to  come 
and  see  them. 

House-raising  day  had,  indeed,  been  a  great  day 
for  Gideon  and  Ruth;  and  when  at  last,  after  all 
the  company  had  gone,  they  went  to  bed  for  their 
last  night's  sleep  in  the  old  half- faced  camp,  they 
were  two  very  happy  children,  whose  tired  bodies 
hardly  touched  their  beds  before  their  eyes  closed 
in  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  DEEP  SNOW 

'TpHERE  was  still  considerable  work  to  be  done 
•*•  about  the  log  house.  The  door  had  to  be 
made  and  hung,  the  window  holes  protected  in 
some  manner  that  would  not  shut  out  the  light  — 
they  had  no  glass  —  the  bedsteads  moved  from  the 
old  half -faced  camp  and  set  up  in  the  new  house, 
and  other  details  of  house  building  attended  to. 
Consequently  the  days  immediately  following  the 
house  raising  were  unusually  busy  ones  for  Big 
Tom  Clay  and  his  family. 

Planks  three  inches  thick  were  split  and  hewn 
out  of  logs,  and  then  doubled  and  tightly  pinned 
together  with  wooden  pins,  until  they  were  one 
solid  piece,  and  sawed  into  shape  for  the  door.  The 
door  was  hung  on  two  huge  iron  hinges  that  Big 
Tom  had  brought  with  him,  and  held  shut  by  a 
heavy  wooden  latch,  fastened  to  the  inside  of  the 
door.  A  latchstring  ran  through  a  hole  bored  in 
the  planks  just  above  the  latch.  One  end  of  this 
string  was  fastened  to  the  latch ;  the  other  end  hung 
a  few  inches  outside  the  door.  A  pull  on  the  string 
outside  lifted  the  latch  inside  and  unlocked  the  door. 
To  lock  the  closed  door  all  one  had  to  do  was  to 
pull  in  the  latchstring.  In  addition  to  this,  the 
door  was  fitted  with  two  stout  wooden  bars,  run- 

200 


The  Coming  of  the  Deep  Snow  201 

ning  across  its  top  and  bottom  and  slipping  into 
heavy  sockets  fastened  to  the  logs.  This  made  the 
door,  when  locked  and  barred,  almost  as  strong  and 
unyielding  as  were  the  walls  of  the  house  themselves. 

Heavy  swinging  wooden  shutters  were  made  for 
the  windows,  to  be  closed  in  case  of  a  violent  storm 
or  an  Indian  attack;  and  strong  paper  was  oiled 
until  it  was  semi-transparent  and  used  in  place  of 
glass  for  window  panes. 

The  rudely  made  bed  frames  were  taken  out  of 
the  half-faced  camp  and  set  up  in  the  new  house, 
in  the  same  manner  they  had  been  before,  two  of 
them  below  and  the  other  "upstairs"  for  Gideon 
to  sleep  on.  A  hole  cut  through  the  floor  alongside 
one  of  the  walls  gave  Gideon  access  to  his  bedroom. 
There  were  no  stairs,  but  strong  and  long  wooden 
pegs  driven  deep  into  holes  bored  into  the  solid  log 
walls  of  the  house  at  the  proper  distances  apart, 
enabled  him  to  climb  up  easily  and  pass  through  the 
hole  into  his  room. 

Mrs.  Clay  made  a  small  bedroom  out  of  one  of 
the  corners  of  the  room  by  hanging  blankets  and 
skins  from  a  buckskin  string,  stretched  from  an 
upright  pole  fastened  to  the  floor  and  the  ceiling, 
and  had  her  bed  set  up  in  there. 

Holes  were  bored  into  the  log  walls  and  hanging- 
pegs  for  clothes,  cooking  utensils,  etc.,  were  driven 
into  them.  A  narrow  lounge  was  made  along  one 
side  of  the  room,  in  much  the  same  manner  the 
beds  had  been  constructed,  and  covered  over  with 
bearskins  and  other  furs.  A  number  of  shelves 


202  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

were  fastened  to  the  walls,  and  a  long  wooden 
mantel  was  built  over  the  fireplace. 

Thus,  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  with  no 
skilled  help  and  only  the  rudest  of  tools,  growing 
trees  of  the  forest  had  been  transformed  into  a 
comfortable  and  pleasant  home  —  a  thing  worthy 
of  your  stopping  a  moment  to  consider,  even  in 
this  marvelous  age  of  accomplishments. 

The  old  half -faced  camp  was  now  turned  into  a 
barn,  where  the  horses  and  the  cattle  could  be  shel- 
tered during  the  cold  months  of  the  winter,  by 
poling  up  the  open  side,  all  but  a  space  large  enough 
for  a  doorway. 

These  busy  days  passed  quickly,  and,  almost  be- 
fore it  was  realized,  the  summer  months  had  gone 
and  fall  was  at  hand.  This  was  the  harvesting 
time.  The  wheat  and  the  oats  yielded  abundantly, 
and  Big  Tom  declared  that  he  had  never  before 
seen  such  corn  and  potatoes  as  the  rich,  virgin  soil 
of  the  prairie  had  produced. 

Big  Tom  dug  an  outdoor  cellar  in  the  side  of  a 
little  hill  near  the  house  and  stored  the  potatoes 
and  other  vegetables  that  freezing  would  harm  in 
its  dark  depths.  The  house  was  banked  around  its 
bottom  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  feet  with 
closely  packed  cornstalks  and  grass,  to  shut  out,  as 
much  as  possible,  the  bitter  cold  of  the  long  winter 
months;  and  the  barn  was  protected  in  the  same 
manner,  and  by  placing  a  large  stack  of  hay,  that 
had  been  cut  for  the  horses  and  the  cattle,  against 
one  of  its  sides.  A  great  pile  of  firewood,  cut  and 


The  Coming  of  the  Deep  Snow  203 

drawn  from  the  near-by  woods,  stood  near  the  door 
of  the  house,  in  readiness  to  feed  the  big  fireplace 
within. 

Thus  everything  was  made  snug  and  comfortable 
for  the  cold  and  stormy  months  of  the  coming 
winter,  which,  Silas  had  informed  them,  was  cold 
enough  "  tew  freeze  th'  ha'r  off  a  b'ar's  back  in  these 
parts." 

During  these  busy  summer  and  fall  months  Silas 
had  come  and  gone  as  fancy  pleased,  but  the  greater 
part  of  his  time  had  been  spent  at  the  log  house  of 
his  friends.  They  had  little  other  company.  Once 
a  passing  emigrant,  bound  for  the  lead  mines  to 
the  north,  had  stopped  over  night  with  them;  and 
one  Sunday  Abe  Dixon  and  his  family  had  come 
down  to  visit  them.  They  had  been  too  busy  to  go 
anywhere  themselves.  Winter,  when  the  snow  lay 
deep  on  the  ground  and  there  was  little  work  to  be 
done,  was  the  pioneer's  visiting  time ;  and  Big  Tom, 
in  preparation  for  those  days,  had  made  a  rude 
sleigh,  with  bent  tree  trunks  shaped  into  runners, 
sufficiently  large  to  carry  them  all. 

The  snow  that  winter  came  late.  Not  until  early 
in  January  did  it  fall  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
make  good  sleighing;  but,  when  it  did  come,  it 
was  like  a  thick,  almost  impenetrable  blanket  of 
whiteness  that  fell  from  the  sky  to  the  earth,  and 
hung  there  all  one  night,  and  all  one  day,  and  all 
another  night  and  day  and  night. 

Gideon  was  the  first  one  up  on  the  morning  after 
the  big  snow-storm.  As  he  dressed  in  his  low,  gar- 


204  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

retlike  room  he  wondered  a  little  at  the  dimness 
of  the  light  that  came  through  the  one  small  window 
in  each  end  of  the  house,  for  he  felt  certain  that 
it  was  past  sunrise.  He  also  wondered  why  he  had 
not  heard  his  father  and  mother  moving  about 
below  and  at  the  strange,  gravelike  stillness  that 
seemed  to  have  settled  down  over  everything  in  and 
about  the  log  house.  Shivering  a  little  with  the 
cold,  he  hurried  into  his  clothes  and  climbed  down 
the  pegs  to  the  floor  below.  A  dull  glow  from  the 
fireplace  alone  lighted  the  room. 

"Is  that  you,  Gid?"  called  his  father,  as  he 
stumbled  against  a  chair  in  the  semi-darkness. 

"Yes,"  answered  Gideon.  "Why  are  you  not 
up  ?  It  must  be  long  after  sunup." 

"  Reckon  not,  son.  Leastwise  there  ain't  no  day- 
light shining  through  the  cracks  in  the  shutters, 
though  it  shore  does  seem  like  a  powerful  long 
night.  Just  poke  up  the  coals  and  throw  on  some 
fresh  wood,  and  then  have  a  look  out  and  see  if 
the  storm  is  over.  The  wind  certain  must  have 
gone  down.  It's  as  still  as  the  grave  outside." 

Gideon  stirred  the  smoldering  coals  in  the  fire- 
place until  they  glowed  brightly  and  threw  on  top 
of  them  a  number  of  dry  chunks  of  wood  that  lay 
near-by.  Then  he  went  to  the  door  and,  unbarring 
and  unlatching  it,  drew  it  open. 

In  front  of  him,  barring  his  way  out,  rose  a  solid, 
impenetrable  wall  of  white! 

"Oh,  Dad,  Dad!"  he  called,  and  stood  still, 
staring  at  the  white  wall. 


The  Coming  of  the  Deep  Snow  205 

Big  Tom  bounded  out  of  bed  and  hurried  to  his 
side. 

"Gosh!"  he  cried,  as  his  eyes  fell  on  the  white 
wall  that  barricaded  the  door,  "if  the  house  ain't 
snowed  under!" 

"  Good  land ! "  and  Mrs.  Clay,  who  had  followed 
close  behind  him,  threw  up  both  her  hands.  "  What 
on  earth  will  we  do  now  ?  " 

"Why,  dig  ourselves  out,  to  be  sure,"  laughed 
Big  Tom.  "The  snow  is  soft  and  Gideon  and  I 
can  shovel  our  way  through  it  like  a  house  afire. 
Wonder  how  high  up  the  snow  goes,"  and,  picking 
up  one  of  the  brush  brooms,  he  thrust  its  long 
handle  upward  through  the  snow.  "  Pretty  nigh 
to  the  eaves,"  he  declared,  as  he  withdrew  the  handle 
and  glanced  upward  through  the  little  round  hole 
that  had  been  left  in  the  slightly  damp  snow. 
"Well,  we  shore  must  get  busy  with  our  shovels, 
Gid,  or  there'll  be  some  hungry  and  thirsty  stock 
in  the  barn  afore  we  can  dig  our  way  to  them," 
and  his  face  sobered. 

Ten  minutes  later,  Big  Tom  and  Gideon,  both 
armed  with  strong  wooden  shovels,  home-made 
mittens  on  their  hands,  and  their  heads  and  necks 
well  protected,  approached  the  snow-barricaded 
door. 

"First  off  we'll  dig  a  hole  up  through  the  snow 
alongside  the  house  and  you  can  climb  up  on  the 
roof  and  see  what  it  looks  like  outside,"  declared 
Big  Tom,  driving  his  shovel  into  the  soft  snow. 
"Reckon  we'll  have  to  throw  the  snow  into  the 


206  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

house,  until  we  can  dig  our  way  through,  because 
there  ain't  no  other  place  to  throw  it,"  and,  with  a 
laugh,  he  deposited  his  first  shovelful  of  snow  at 
the  feet  of  Mrs.  Clay. 

In  a  very  short  time  the  active  arms  of  Gideon 
and  his  father  had  dug  a  large  hole  up  through  the 
snow  alongside  the  house.  Then  Big  Tom  boosted 
Gideon  up  through  this  hole  and  bade  him  climb  on 
top  of  the  roof,  and  take  a  look  around,  and  report 
just  what  the  situation  was. 

"The  snow  is  banked  clean  up  to  the  eaves  all 
around  the  house  and,  in  some  places,  'most  up  to 
the  top  of  the  roof,"  Gideon  reported,  the  moment 
he  reached  the  top  of  the  roof  and  had  looked 
around.  "  But  it  don't  look  near  so  deep  away 
from  the  house.  I  can  just  see  the  top  of  the  barn 
sticking  up  about  a  foot  above  the  snow." 

"How's  the  weather?"  called  up  Big  Tom. 

"  Clear  as  a  whistle,"  called  back  Gideon.  "  And 
the  sun  is  more  than  an  hour's  high.  Say,  but  this 
is  a  great  sight !  The  snow's  as  level  as  a  floor,  and 
white  and  sparkling  as  new  marble.  But  it's  co-old, 
terrible  cold  and  windy  up  here." 

"Well,"  laughed  Big  Tom,  "slide  down  and  get 
to  work  and  you  will  soon  be  warm  enough." 

Gideon  "  slid  down,"  and  he  and  his  father  went 
to  work  on  the  snow  with  a  will  that  soon  had  tun- 
neled a  way  through  the  deep  bank  of  snow  piled 
up  against  the  house  out  to  where  it  lay  level  on 
the  prairie. 

"It's  over  five  feet  deep  right  out  here  on  the 


The  Coming  of  the  Deep  Snow  207 

level ! "  Big  Tom  declared,  as  he  paused  to  measure, 
with  the  handle  of  his  shovel,  the  height  of  the  side 
of  the  snow  canyon  that  their  shovels  had  cut 
through  the  white  mass.  "Now,"  and  his  eyes 
glanced  a  bit  uneasily  toward  the  barn  and  over 
the  snow-covered  surroundings,  "we  shore  have 
some  digging  to  do,  son.  Wish  Si  was  here  to 
help.  His  long  arms  and  iron  back  would  come 
in  powerful  handy  right  now.  But,"  and  he  grinned, 
"  reckon  this  snow'll  cure  his  wilderness  itch  sudden 
and  bring  him  back  fast  as  he  can  get  here.  'Twon't 
be  none  comfortable  camping  out  in  five  feet  of 
snow.  Howsomever,  talking'll  never  dig  a  way  to 
the  barn,"  and  he  drove  his  shovel  deep  into  the 
soft  snow. 

Silas,  as  the  words  of  Big  Tom  suggested,  had 
left  the  little  log  house  only  a  few  days  before, 
driven  forth  by  one  of  his  periodical  attacks  of 
wilderness  itch,  as  he  called  them,  and  had  expected 
to  be  gone  for  a  couple  of  weeks  or  more;  but,  as 
Big  Tom  said,  the  deep  snow  would,  probably,  send 
him  hurrying  back. 

Indeed,  Big  Tom  and  Gideon  had  "  some  digging 
to  do";  but,  by  working  hard  all  day,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  shoveling  narrow  paths  to  the  barn,  the 
spring,  the  outdoor  cellar,  and  the  woodpile,  and 
in  clearing  away  enough  of  the  snow  in  front  of 
the  house  to  enable  them  to  open  the  shutters  and 
let  in  the  daylight. 

The  weather,  as  it  often  does  after  a  big  snow- 
storm, turned  bitterly  cold  that  day;  but,  fortu- 


2o8  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

nately,  they  had  an  abundance  of  wood  for  fuel, 
and,  even  more  fortunately,  the  house  and  the  out- 
door cellar  were  well  stored  with  food  for  them- 
selves, while  there  were  corn,  oats,  and  hay  for  the 
horses  and  the  cattle  in  the  barn.  Consequently 
they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  deep  snow,  and, 
snugly  ensconced  in  the  log  house,  with  a  great  fire 
roaring  up  the  wide-mouthed  chimney  of  the  fire- 
place, they  could  defy  the  cold. 

On  the  second  afternoon  after  the  fall  of  the 
deep  snow,  just  as  they  were  about  to  sit  down  to 
the  supper  table,  they  heard  a  halloo  coming  from 
over  the  wide  expanse  of  snow  outside. 

"  A  coonskin  against  a  rabbit's  hide  it's  Si ! "  Big 
Tom  cried,  jumping  to  his  feet  and  hurrying  to 
the  door,  followed  by  the  others. 

As  he  threw  open  the  door  and  started  out,  Silas 
Wegg  tumbled,  headlong  and  almost  on  top  of  him, 
into  the  excavation  made  in  the  snow  in  front  of 
the  house,  and,  getting  upon  his  feet,  staggered 
blindly  toward  him. 

"Great  guns,  Si!  What  has  happened?"  and 
Big  Tom  leaped  to  his  side  and  pulled  him  into 
the  house. 

"Mercy  on  us!"  and  Mrs.  Clay  hurried  to  the 
side  of  Silas,  her  startled  eyes  on  his  face.  "  What 
has  happened  to  your  eyes  ?  " 

"  Snow-blinded,  till  I  couldn't  see  a  flock  o'  white 
houses,"  Silas  answered,  covering  both  of  his  badly 
swollen  eyes  with  one  of  his  hands.  "Th'  glare 
of  th'  sun  shining  on  th'  white  snow  an'  up  intew 


The  Coming  of  the  Deep  Snow  209 

th'  eyes  is  somethin'  terrible.  Thought  I  would 
go  stone-blind  afore  I  could  git  here;  an',  if  I'd 
had  anuther  mile  tew  go,  I  sartin  would.  As  it 
was,  I  could  jest  git  a  squint  through  'em  every 
now  and  then.  Je-rusalem!  but  that  was  a  snow- 
storm! 'Most  six  feet  on  th'  level!  Never  seed 
th'  like  o'  it  here  afore,"  and,  kicking  off  his  snow- 
shoes,  without  which  it  would  have  been  impos- 
sible for  him  to  have  traveled  over  the  deep  snow, 
he  groped  about  for  a  chair. 

Ruth  quickly  pushed  a  chair  to  his  hand. 

"  Good  land !  but  I'm  glad  tew  be  in  here,  'stead 
oj  out  thar  a-wanderin'  round  on  that  eternal  white- 
ness, stone-blind  an'  gittin'  colder  every  moment 
till  I  drapped.  Wai,  I  shore  am  tuckered.  Forty 
mile  since  mornin' ! "  and  he  sat  down  in  the  chair 
near  the  fire.  "  Say,  but  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar," 
and  he  turned  a  face,  twisted  into  a  grin,  toward 
Mrs.  Clay. 

"  Supper  is  all  ready.  We  were  just  a-going  to 
set  down  to  the  table,  when  we  heard  your  call. 
But,  afore  you  eat,  you  must  let  me  bathe  your 
eyes.  They  are  swollen  something  terrible,"  and 
Mrs.  Clay,  bustling  swiftly  about,  soon  had  a  sooth- 
ing lotion  prepared,  with  which  she  bathed  Silas's 
inflamed  eyes,  every  now  and  then  audibly  thanking 
heaven  that  he  had  found  their  house  before  his 
eyes  gave  out  entirely. 

And,  indeed,  Silas  had  had  a  fortunate  escape, 
for,  if  he  had  gone  stone-blind  out  there  alone  on 
that  vast  snow-covered  prairie,  with  a  bitterly  cold 


210  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

night  coming  on,  he  certainly  would  have  frozen  to 
death  before  morning. 

The  big  snowstorm  had  found  him  encamped  in 
a  little  wood,  some  forty  miles  from  the  log  house, 
and  he  had  remained  there  snug  and  warm  in  the 
rude  shelter  that  his  woodcraft  had  enabled  him  to 
build,  until  that  morning,  when,  his  larder  running 
low,  he  had  started  back  for  the  log  house  on 
snowshoes  that  he  had  cleverly  fashioned  out  of 
bent  willow  branches,  tightly  strung  with  deerskin 
thongs  cut  from  his  hunting  coat. 

Forty  miles  on  snowshoes  in  one  day!  No 
wonder  that  Silas  was  tuckered !  The  glare  of  the 
sun  on  the  white  level  of  the  snow  had  been  more 
than  human  eyes  could  stand,  and  by  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  his  eyes  were  so  badly  inflamed 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  for  him  to  see  out  of 
them ;  and,  for  the  last  half  hour,  he  had  been  forced 
to  pull  the  lids  apart  in  order  to  see  at  all. 

Yes,  indeed,  Silas  had  had  a  narrow  escape  from 
a  horrible  death!  It  was  nearly  a  week  before  he 
fully  recovered  the  use  of  his  eyes,  so  badly  had 
they  been  inflamed  by  the  glare  of  the  sun  reflected 
up  from  the  white  snow.* 

*  In  northern  Illinois  and  southern  Wisconsin,  the  winter  of 
1830  and  1831  was  long  known  as  "  The  Winter  of  the  Deep 
Snow,"  when  the  snow  is  said  to  have  fallen  to  the  depth  of 
nearly  six  feet  on  the  level.  —  AUTHOR. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

BESIEGED  BY  WOLVES 

'HpHE  Big  Snow  Storm,  unprecedented  in  its 
•*•  depth,  even  in  that  country  of  deep  winter 
snows,  was  followed  by  a  long  "  spell  "of  bitterly 
cold  weather  that  lasted  until  late  in  February.  Of 
course,  during  this  time,  the  Clays  were  confined  to 
the  purlieus  of  the  little  log  house,  the  deep  snow 
making  the  trail  impassable  to  all  heavy  animals, 
except  to  the  man  on  snowshoes.  Consequently 
there  was  little  visiting  done  back  and  forth  be- 
tween neighbors  that  winter.  Nevertheless  the 
weeks  passed  quickly. 

Almost  every  day  Gideon  and  his  father  and 
Silas  would  tie  on  their  homemade  snowshoes, 
shoulder  their  rifles,  and  go  gunning  in  the  near-by 
woods;  and  it  was  seldom  they  returned  without  a 
wild  turkey,  a  brace  of  partridges,  or  a  couple  of 
rabbits,  or  other  wild  game  to  grace  their  larder. 
Quail  were  so  plentiful  and  so  tame  that  they  could 
be  killed  with  clubs.  Deer,  on  account  of  the  depth 
of  the  snow,  were  difficult  to  find,  but,  when  found, 
were  easily  killed.  Accordingly  the  larder  was 
always  abundantly  supplied  with  fresh  meat;  and 
this,  with  cornmeal  mush,  milk  from  the  cow  that 
had  given  birth  to  a  calf  that  fall,  hot  johnnycake 
and  butter,  pancakes,  bread,  potatoes,  and  the  other 

211 


212  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

edibles  of  their  own  raising,  enabled  them  to  fare, 
so  far  as  wholesomeness  and  savoryness  went,  far 
better  than  many  families  of  wealth  in  their  homes 
of  luxury  in  the  great  cities. 

Fortunately,  all  kept  well.  So  far  not  one  of 
them  had  had  even  a  day's  sickness  since  coming 
to  their  new  home.  The  cold,  pure  air,  the  vigor- 
ous outdoor  life,  and  the  wholesome  food  kept  the 
machinery  of  their  bodies  in  the  best  of  working 
order  and  enabled  it  to  defy  disease.  But  not  all 
of  their  neighbors  were  as  fortunate.  Abe  Dixon 
lost  his  wife,  and  the  two  youngest  children  of  Big 
Ike  Conrad  died  during  the  Deep  Snow,  so  they 
learned  afterward. 

Sickness,  and  possible  death,  and  burial  of  a  loved 
one  under  these  circumstances  of  isolation,  away 
from  all  neighborly  sympathy,  or  help,  or  doctor's 
care,  were  terrible,  but  had  to  be  faced  and  endured 
as  best  they  could  be,  by  the  lonely  pioneers;  and, 
usually,  to  their  credit  be  it  said,  they  were  faced 
bravely  and  endured  with  Spartanlike  fortitude. 

The  wolves,  during  the  continuance  of  the  deep 
snow,  were  exceedingly  troublesome  and  threaten- 
ing. As  soon  as  a  hard  crust,  strong  enough  to 
bear  their  weight,  had  formed  on  top  of  the  snow, 
they  swept  over  the  prairie  and  through  the  woods 
in  great  packs,  ravenous  with  hunger  and  ready  to 
chase  and  pull  down  and  devour  man  or  beast  so 
unfortunate  as  to  fall  into  their  power.  Their 
numbers  gave  them  courage  and  their  hunger  made 
them  desperate. 


Besieged  by  Wolves  213 

There  were  two  kinds  of  wolves,  the  large,  fierce 
timber  wolf  and  the  smaller  and  more  cowardly 
prairie  wolf;  but,  when  crazed  with  hunger  and 
hunting  in  large  packs,  both  kinds  were  dangerous 
enough.  During  the  night  their  howlings  could  be 
heard  almost  continuously,  and,  frequently,  the  soft 
patter,  patter  of  their  padded  feet  on  the  snow  out- 
side, as  they  hungrily  circled  the  house,  sounded 
in  the  ears  of  Gideon  and  Ruth  as  they  lay  safe 
and  warm  in  their  beds.  Once,  while  the  men  folks 
were  away  in  the  woods  on  a  hunt,  Mrs.  Clay  shot 
a  big  gray  timber  wolf  that  was  prowling  about 
the  barn  in  broad  daylight,  and  the  very  next  day 
she  killed  another  within  a  dozen  rods  of  the  door 
of  the  house. 

The  great  bank  of  snow  that  had  piled  up  against 
one  end  of  the  house  to  within  two  feet  of  the  sill 
of  the  little  window  in  Gideon's  attic  room  had 
been  left  undisturbed  by  their  shovels.  This  win- 
dow had  no  wooden  shutter  and  was  protected  only 
by  oiled  paper. 

One  night,  as  Gideon  lay  in  his  bed  drowsily 
listening  to  the  howlings  of  the  wolves  outside,  he 
was  startled  to  hear  the  paper  that  covered  this 
window  suddenly  crack  and  the  next  instant  to  see 
the  sharp  nose  and  the  glowing  eyes,  followed  by 
the  hairy  head  of  a  big  timber  wolf,  poked  in 
through  the  opening.  For  an  instant  he  lay,  too 
startled  and  horrified  to  move,  watching  the  wolf 
struggling  to  squeeze  his  body  through  the  narrow 
opening.  Then,  with  a  thrill  of  satisfaction,  he 


214  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

remembered  that  two  feet  above  his  head,  on  pins 
driven  into  holes  bored  into  the  logs  of  the  house, 
lay  his  loaded  rifle,  and  all  dread  of  the  wolf  left 
him.  Cautiously  raising  himself  up  in  his  bed,  he 
seized  the  gun  and  shot  the  wolf  dead. 

The  body  lay  half  in  and  half  out  of  the  window 
all  night,  effectually  blocking  the  opening  to  any 
of  his  venturous  companions;  and  the  next  day,  you 
may  be  sure,  Big  Tom  and  Gideon  fastened  strong 
wooden  bars  across  the  two  attic  windows,  so  close 
together  that  no  wolf  could  possibly  thrust  his  head 
in  between  them. 

Big  Tom,  at  the  approach  of  winter,  had  made  a 
strong  door  for  the  barn  and  had  strengthened  every 
weak  part  of  the  building;  and  it  was  fortunate 
that  he  had  done  this,  for  scarcely  a  night  passed 
that  a  dozen  or  more  hungry  wolves  did  not  attempt 
to  break  into  the  barn  in  their  efforts  to  get  at  the 
stock  within.  The  barn  could  be  plainly  seen  from 
the  house  and,  on  bright  moonlit  nights,  Big  Tom 
and  Silas  and  Gideon  took  turns  throughout  the 
night,  watching  the  barn  and  shooting  the  wolves; 
and,  presently,  there  started  a  lively  rivalry  between 
the  three  to  see  who  could  kill  the  most  wolves 
while  on  the  watch.  Gideon,  to  his  unbounded  de- 
light, won,  with  a  score  for  the  winter  of  twenty- 
nine  timber  and  seventeen  prairie  wolves. 

But  their  most  exciting  experience  with  the 
wolves  was  one  night  late  in  February,  only  a  few 
days  before  the  coming  of  the  big  thaw  that  rapidly 
melted  the  snow  away,  when  a  great  pack  of  half- 


Besieged  by  Wolves  215 

famished  timber  wolves  actually  besieged  and  at- 
tempted to  carry  by  storm  the  little  log  house  and 
the  barn. 

Gideon  was  on  watch  that  night  from  nine  o'clock 
until  twelve.  A  half -moon  hung  in  the  sky,  dimly 
lighting  the  surrounding  expanse  of  snow.  Up  to 
eleven  o'clock  he  had  not  seen  a  sign  of  a  wolf,  but 
he  had  heard  them  howling  in  the  distance.  A  few 
minutes  after  eleven  he  heard  a  loud,  prolonged 
howl,  sounding  as  if  the  lone  wolf  that  uttered  it 
could  not  be  over  a  dozen  rods  from  the  house. 
Gideon  was  sufficiently  well  versed  in  the  ways  of 
the  wolf  to  know  that  this  was  a  signal  howl  from 
one  of  the  wolf  scouts,  sent  out  from  the  main 
pack  in  search  of  prey;  and  he  listened  intently  for 
the  answering  howls.  He  did  not  have  long  to 
wait.  Almost  before  the  last  quaver  had  died  in 
the  air,  it  was  taken  up  by  another  and  more  distant 
wolf,  then  by  another,  still  more  distant,  ending 
finally  in  a  chorus  of  howlings  so  far  away  that 
Gideon  could  hear  them  but  faintly. 

He  hurried  quickly  to  a  loophole  in  the  side  of 
the  house  whence  the  howlings  came  and  looked 
through  the  opening,  his  rifle  ready  in  his  hand. 
At  first  he  could  see  nothing  but  the  white  expanse 
of  the  snow,  stretching  as  far  as  his  eyes  could 
reach.  Then,  as  he  scrutinized  the  surface  more 
carefully,  he  distinguished,  faintly  outlined  in  the 
distance,  the  gaunt,  shadowy  form  of  a  wolf,  sitting 
up  on  his  haunches  on  the  white  snow.  A  moment 
later  the  lone  wolf  gave  voice  to  another  signal 


216  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

howl,  which  was  almost  instantly  answered  by  an- 
other, and  another,  and  finally  by  the  chorus  of 
howlings,  this  time  sounding  nearer  and  louder  to 
the  ears  of  the  waiting  boy.  Possibly  two  minutes 
passed;  then  the  lone  wolf  was  joined  by  two  other 
wolves,  and  the  three  sat  on  their  haunches  on  the 
snow,  waiting  in  the  dim  moonlight  —  waiting  for 
what? 

In  three  minutes  Gideon  knew.  First  a  long  line 
of  shadowy  forms  appeared,  coming  swiftly  and 
silently  over  the  snow.  A  moment  later  the  shad- 
owy line  took  shape  and  the  startled  eyes  of  the 
boy  saw  a  great  pack  of  big,  gaunt  wolves  sweeping 
swiftly,  but  still  silently,  down  upon  the  lonely  little 
log  house.  Now  he  could  hear  the  soft  fur-muffled 
patter,  patter  of  their  feet  on  the  hard  crust  of  the 
snow,  sounding  weirdly  through  the  silence  of  the 
dim  moonlit  night.  On  they  came,  stretching  out 
in  a  ragged  line  a  dozen  rods  wide  and  many  wolves 
deep,  on  until  they  reached  and  swept  in  among 
their  number  the  three  watchers  on  the  snow,  and 
still  on  toward  the  little  log  house,  making  no  sound 
save  the  patter,  patter  of  their  many  feet  on  the 
crust  of  frozen  snow,  a  strange,  almost  uncanny 
sight  to  the  watching  boy. 

Gideon  stood  motionless,  almost  breathless,  hardly 
believing  his  own  eyes,  so  weirdly  and  silently  had 
the  great  pack  glided  over  the  white  snow  from  out 
the  mystery  of  the  dark  night,  until  the  leaders  were 
within  a  half-dozen  rods  of  the  house;  then,  with 
a  startled  exclamation,  he  thrust  the  barrel  of  his 


Besieged  by  Wolves  217 

rifle  through  the  loophole,  took  quick  aim  at  the 
nearest  wolf,  and  fired. 

"Dad!  Si!"  he  shouted,  in  great  excitement, 
whirling  about  from  the  loophole  and  starting  to 
reload  his  rifle.  "Out  with  you  quick!  All  the 
wolves  in  creation  are  a-rushing  down  on  us! 
Hurry !  Out  with  you ! " 

"What?  —  Indians!"  and  Big  Tom,  awakened 
out  of  a  sound  sleep  by  the  report  of  the  rifle  and 
the  shouts  of  Gideon,  leaped  out  of  bed,  sprang  for 
his  rifle,  and  jumped  to  a  loophole,  and,  not  two 
steps  behind  him,  came  Silas,  rifle  in  hand. 

"Great  guns!  if  'tain't  wolves,  slathers  and 
slathers  of  them!"  and  Big  Tom  stared  through 
the  loophole. 

"Better  a  million  wolves  than  a  dozen  red 
devils ! "  declared  Silas,  as  he  stepped  to  a  loophole 
by  the  side  of  Big  Tom  and  looked  out.  "Gee- 
willikins,  if  'tain't  a  reg'ler  convention  o'  teeth  an' 
tails!  Wai,  let's  open  th'  ball  for  'em,"  and  he 
thrust  his  rifle  out  through  the  loophole  and  fired  at 
a  wolf  not  more  than  a  dozen  feet  from  the  muzzle 
of  his  gun. 

At  the  same  moment  Big  Tom  and  Gideon  fired. 
At  the  first  yelp  of  the  wounded  wolves,  bedlam 
broke  loose;  for,  before  the  smoke  had  cleared  away 
from  the  muzzles  of  their  guns,  every  wolf  within 
reach  had  leaped,  snapping  and  snarling  and  fight- 
ing, upon  their  stricken  comrades,  and  all  that 
Gideon  and  the  two  men  could  see  for  a  time  was 
a  whirling  gray  mass  of  bodies  and  tails  and  flashing 


218 The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

white  teeth.  In  three  minutes  nothing  was  left  of 
the  three  wolves  but  their  bones. 

By  this  time  the  half-famished  beasts  were  racing 
wildly  around  the  house,  jumping  up  against  its 
sides,  scratching  furiously  at  the  heavy  door,  and 
howling  and  whining  and  yelping,  until  it  sounded 
as  if  all  the  imps  of  pandemonium  were  holding 
mad  revel  outside.  But  the  heavy  logs  and  the 
thick  door  and  the  closed  shutters  defied  the  utmost 
they  could  do  with  teeth  and  nails. 

Again  and  again  the  three  rifles  were  emptied 
into  the  howling  mass  outside,  but  with  no  apparent 
effect,  except  to  increase  the  yelping  and  the 
snarling  at  each  shot,  as  the  wounded  wolves  were 
pounced  upon  and  devoured  by  their  hunger-crazed 
companions. 

"Gosh  a'mighty!"  and  Big  Tom  whirled  about 
suddenly  and  jumped  across  the  room.  "If  we 
ain't  forgetting  the  barn!  If  they  break  into  that, 
they'll  kill  ever  last  critter  in  it.  We  must  try  to 
keep  them  off  the  roof.  That's  the  weakest  spot. 
Let  them  scratch  and  bite  and  howl  around  the 
house  all  they  want  to,  they  can't  break  in;  but  the 
barn —  Quick,  Si,  Gideon!  There's  half  a  dozen 
on  the  roof  now,  a-tearing  at  it  like  mad ! "  and  he 
thrust  his  rifle  through  a  loophole  and  fired. 

Gideon  and  Silas  each  sprang  to  a  loophole  by 
his  side,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  their  rifles  had 
cleared  the  roof. 

Fortunately  the  roof  was  so  high  that  only  the 
unusually  strong  and  agile  wolves  could  reach  it 


Besieged  by  Wolves  219 

by  springing;  but,  unfortunately,  the  light  was  so 
poor  that  at  that  distance  its  defenders  could  not 
be  sure  of  their  aim;  and,  in  spite  of  their  utmost 
efforts  and  the  help  of  Mrs.  Clay,  who  had  seized 
her  rifle  and  was  now  shooting  with  them,  a  hole 
was  torn  through  the  roof  and  a  big  wolf  was  seen 
to  drop  down  through  it  before  a  rifle  bullet  could 
reach  him.  Even  above  the  horrible  din  of  the 
yelping  animals  they  heard  the  bellows  of  the  fear- 
crazed  oxen  and  the  scream  of  a  horse. 

"Reckon  the  critters  can  attend  to  that  one," 
Big  Tom  said,  grimly.  "But  we  must  not  let  an- 
other wolf  get  into  that  hole.  Keep  cool.  Don't 
all  fire  at  once.  Take  turns.  We're  wasting  too 
much  powder." 

From  now  on  they  managed  to  keep  the  roof 
cleared.  Indeed,  in  a  short  time  the  wolves  seemed 
to  take  warning  from  the  fate  of  their  comrades 
and  only  a  few  even  attempted  to  reach  the  roof  of 
the  barn,  and  those  that  succeeded  were  quickly  shot. 

Suddenly  Ruth,  who  sat  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  the  baby  held  tightly  in  her  arms,  uttered  a 
dreadful  yell  and  pointed  upward  to  the  narrow 
hole  in  the  thick  floor  of  the  ceiling,  through  which 
Gideon  climbed  to  his  room  above,  where  the  gleam- 
ing eyes  of  a  huge  wolf  were  glaring  down  upon 
them. 

Somehow  the  wolves  had  managed  to  reach  the 
roof  of  the  log  house  and  had  broken  through  it, 
unheard  and  unnoticed  in  the  din  and  excitement. 

Almost  as  one  rifle  sounded  the  reports  of  the 


220  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

four  guns,  so  suddenly  did  all  whirl  and  fire  at  this 
imminent  peril,  and  the  body  of  the  wolf  tumbled 
through  the  hole  and  lay  dead  on  the  floor. 

"No  danger!"  Big  Tom  shouted.  "They  can't 
break  through  the  thick  floor  and  I  can  'tend  to 
all  that  try  to  get  down  through  the  hole.  Just 
keep  your  eyes  on  the  barn,"  and,  dropping  his 
rifle,  he  shoved  a  heavy  bench  under  the  hole,  seized 
an  ax,  leaped  upon  the  bench  and  stood  ready  to 
strike  the  first  wolf  head  that  appeared. 

They  could  now  hear  on  the  floor  above  their 
heads  the  thud  of  the  bodies  of  other  wolves,  as 
they  dropped  through  the  hole  in  the  roof,  and  the 
soft  patter,  patter  of  their  feet  as  they  ran  about 
the  room.  But  only  a  few  of  the  strongest  and 
most  agile  of  the  wolves  were  able  to  reach  the  roof 
at  all;  and  Big  Tom,  as  he  had  promised,  had  no 
trouble  in  taking  care  of  these  whenever  one  ven- 
tured to  thrust  a  head  down  through  the  hole. 

"  Save  your  powder.  Only  shoot  when  it  is  nec- 
essary to  keep  them  from  getting  into  the  barn. 
We've  got  them  now  where  they  can  hurt  nothing," 
Big  Tom  called  from  his  station  on  the  bench,  and 
the  next  moment  swung  his  ax  at  the  head  of  a 
venturesome  wolf.  The  body  dropped  dead  to  the 
floor  below. 

This  was  the  last  wolf  killed  that  night.  There 
seemed  to  be  no  more  wolves  able  to  reach  the  roof 
of  either  the  barn  or  the  house.  They  could  hear 
the  patter  of  feet  on  the  boards  over  their  heads 
and  knew  that  there  must  be  a  couple  of  wolves  left 


Besieged  by  Wolves  221 

in  the  room  above,  but  they  did  not  venture  down 
within  reach  of  Big  Tom's  ax.  Evidently,  from 
their  uneasy  running  about  the  room  and  their 
frightened  whinings,  they  were  even  more  anxious 
to  get  out  than  they  had  been  to  get  in;  but  could 
not,  the  hole  in  the  roof,  through  which  they  had 
entered,  being  so  situated  that  they  could  not  get 
out  through  it. 

All  the  remainder  of  the  night  the  defenders 
stood  guard,  but  at  the  first  rays  of  the  morning 
sun,  at  some  concerted  signal,  the  great  pack  gath- 
ered itself  together  and  swept  swiftly  off  across  the 
snow,  leaving  behind  them  many  little  piles  of 
bones  and  the  two  prisoners  up  in  Gideon's  room. 

As  soon  as  it  became  light  enough  to  see  clearly, 
Gideon,  rifle  in  hand  and  with  Big  Tom  standing 
on  the  bench  near  him  ready  to  hand  him  another 
rifle,  climbed  up  the  pegs  and,  thrusting  his  head 
and  shoulders  through  the  hole,  quickly  shot  the 
two  cowed  wolves  that,  at  first  sight  of  him,  had 
slunk  away  in  deadly  fear  to  the  farthest  corner 
of  the  room. 

When  the  two  wolves  had  been  killed,  Big  Tom 
and  Silas  and  Gideon  hurried  to  the  barn.  Inside 
they  found  the  carcass  of  a  wolf,  trampled  and 
kicked  and  gored  until  there  was  not  a  whole  bone 
in  the  body.  There  was  not  a  mark  of  teeth  or 
claws  on  any  of  the  animals,  except  a  long  scratch 
on  the  back  of  one  of  the  horses.  Evidently  the 
wolf,  in  jumping  through  the  hole,  had  landed  on 
the  back  of  this  horse,  had  been  quickly  thrown 


222  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

off  and  almost  instantly  trampled  on,  or  kicked, 
and  killed. 

"  Well,  no  special  harm  has  been  done,"  Big  Tom 
said,  after  all  the  animals  in  the  barn  had  been 
examined  and  found  safe  and  sound;  "but  it  shore 
was  some  exciting  while  it  lasted.  Now,"  and  he 
turned  to  Mrs.  Clay,  who  had  hurried  out  to  the 
barn  after  the  men,  "just  get  back  into  the  house 
and  see  how  quickly  you  can  get  us  something  to 
eat.  I'm  almost  starved." 

"  Right-o,"  grinned  Silas.  "  I  shore  am  as 
hungry  as  a  b —  wolf,  I  mean,"  and  the  grin 
broadened. 

Gideon  and  Ruth  never  forgot  that  night  of 
terror,  and  long  years  afterward,  when  a  thriving 
little  city  stood  on  the  site  of  the  log  house  and 
the  pioneer  farm,  their  grandchildren  never  tired 
of  hearing  them  tell  of  that  long-ago  night,  during 
the  Winter  of  the  Deep  Snow,  when  the  great  pack 
of  famished  wolves  attacked  their  home. 

Now,  to  the  present  generation  living  in  this 
peaceful  and  favored  region,  it  seems  almost 
impossible  that  such  a  thing  could  have  occurred 
less  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  so  swiftly  has  the 
wilderness  been  transformed  into  the  prosperous 
farms  and  populous  cities  of  today. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  HAWK  THREATENS  TO  STRIKE 

HE  last  week  in  February  the  weather  suddenly 
moderated  and  the  snow  melted  away  so 
rapidly  that  by  the  beginning  of  March  it  had 
nearly  all  gone  and  there  was  the  first  feel  of 
spring  in  the  air.  The  warm  weather  continued, 
with  now  and  then  a  sharp  rally  by  the  retreating 
forces  of  winter,  all  through  March;  and  by  the 
first  of  April  all  the  frost  was  out  of  the  ground 
and  the  warm,  balmy  air  and  the  invigorating 
sunshine  of  spring  had  come,  vivifying  all  nature. 

Never  before  had  there  been  such  a  spring  for 
Gideon  and  Ruth.  They  lived  outdoors,  and  each 
day  they  discovered  some  new  beauty  in  blossoming 
flower  or  singing  bird  or  growing  shrub. 

And  never  before  had  there  been  such  a  spring 
for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clay.  All  about  them  were 
blossoming  the  beauties  of  nature,  as  God  made 
them,  unchanged  by  the  hand  of  man.  But  most 
of  all,  they  joyed  in  their  home-building.  Each  day 
the  little  log  house  and  its  surroundings  grew  more 
homelike,  dearer,  more  beautiful  to  their  eyes;  and 
often  as  the  two  stood  together  and  looked  out 
over  the  quiet,  peaceful  surrounding  prairie,  beau- 
tiful with  the  blooms  of  spring,  at  the  long  line  of 
the  forest,  now  a  living  wall  of  green,  and  thought 

223 


224  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

of  the  richness  of  the  glorious  promise  all  this  held 
for  them  and  theirs,  of  the  home  to  be,  when  the 
hardships  and  the  dangers  of  pioneer  days  had 
gone,  when  they  could  live  in  contented  peace  and 
plenty,  surrounded  by  their  happy,  prosperous  chil- 
dren, their  eyes  would  fill  with  tears  —  tears  that 
tell  of  joys  too  deep  for  tongue  to  utter  —  and  they 
would  turn  and  clasp  hands  tightly  and  stand  for 
minutes,  each  looking  into  the  face  of  the  other, 
without  uttering  a  word. 

Ah,  who  would  not  dare  much,  endure  much,  to 
be  the  makers  of  such  dreams  come  true! 

Silas,  with  the  coming  of  spring,  had  again  left 
the  little  log  house,  the  wilderness  itch  once  more 
in  his  blood.  Big  Tom  and  Gideon  were  happily 
busy  with  the  spring  work,  making  ready  the  ground 
for  planting  and  sowing.  Ruth,  the  baby  in  her 
arms,  lived  outdoors,  sometimes  with  her  father 
and  Gideon  in  the  field,  sometimes  wandering  joy- 
ously over  the  near-by  flower-covered  prairie, 
picking  the  glorious  blooms  and  resting,  when 
weary,  fairylike,  on  the  fragrant  couches  of  flowers 
and  grass  that  everywhere  invited  her  to  repose. 
Mrs.  Clay  sang  at  her  work  about  the  house;  for 
all  that  she  did  was  being  done  for  those  that  she 
loved  best;  and  what  greater  happiness  can  come 
to  woman  than  this?  Indeed,  the  hardships,  the 
dangers,  the  loneliness  of  pioneer  life  had  their 
compensations ! 

With  the  spring  came  that  wondrous  migration 
of  the  passenger  pigeon,  when  the  skies  themselves 


The  Hawk  Threatens  to  Strike  225 

were  frequently  darkened  by  the  vast  flocks  of  these 
birds,  flying  northward  to  their  summer  feeding 
and  nesting  places,  to  return  in  the  autumn  in  equally 
vast  flocks,  to  their  winter  rendezvous  in  the  south. 
Now  the  Audubon  societies  of  America  are  vainly 
offering  five  thousand  dollars  for  a  single  living 
pair,  male  and  female,  of  these  birds,  so  greedily, 
so  ruthlessly,  so  thoughtlessly  has  the  hand  of 
civilized  man  wrought  against  this  timid,  gentle 
creature. 

Big  Tom  had  an  old  large-bore  shot  gun;  and 
during  the  migratory  period  of  these  birds  all  that 
Gideon  had  to  do  to  get  an  abundance  of  flesh  food 
for  the  day  was  to  load  this  gun  with  fine  shot  each 
morning,  step  outside  the  door  of  the  little  log 
house,  wait  until  a  flock  of  pigeons,  flying  low, 
passed  over,  and  fire  up  into  it,  almost  without  aim. 
Usually  one  shot  would  bring  down  enough  birds 
to  supply  the  larder  for  the  day;  and,  to  the  credit 
of  Big  Tom  and  Gideon  be  it  said,  they  never 
killed  harmless  wild  game  for  the  mere  pleasure 
of  killing.  That  brutal  sport  belongs  to  a  later  and, 
possibly,  a  more  civilized  day. 

Then  there  were  great  flocks  of  wild  geese  and 
ducks  passing  north  and  now  and  then  stopping  to 
feed  or  rest  in  neighboring  ponds  or  streams  or 
fields.  They  could  be  had  in  abundance  for  the 
killing;  but  the  pigeons  furnished  a  more  savory 
and  tender  meat  and  the  geese  and  ducks  were 
allowed  to  pass  unharmed  as  long  as  a  supply  of 
the  more  appetizing  birds  could  be  had. 


226  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

All  the  year  through,  deer,  wild  turkeys,  prairie 
chickens,  partridges,  quail  and  other  game  birds 
could  be  found  with  little  hunting,  and  were  easily 
killed.  Indeed,  it  was  a  glorious  day  for  the  hunter, 
the  day  of  the  pioneer;  and  fortunate  for  the 
pioneers  that  it  was,  for  many  of  their  larders  would 
have  been  frequently  empty  had  it  not  been  for  the 
wild  game  with  which  they  could  so  easily  fill  them. 

Thus  the  busy  April  days  passed  peacefully  and 
swiftly,  without  a  single  interruption  from  the  world 
outside.  So  far  as  seeing  other  human  beings  went, 
they  might  have  been  in  the  world  alone,  for  not  a 
fellow  mortal,  white  or  red,  had  come  to  their  door 
from  the  great  world  beyond  their  little  wilderness 
home.  But  this  peaceful  isolation,  this  modern 
Eden,  did  not,  could  not,  last. 

One  evening,  about  the  middle  of  May,  while 
they  were  seated  at  the  supper  table,  the  door  wide 
open,  they  heard. a  step  outside  and  the  next  moment 
the  tall  form  of  Silas  Wegg  glided  into  the  room. 

"Glory  be,  but  I'm  jest  in  time!"  were  his  first 
words,  as  his  eyes  rested  on  the  table.  "Wai,  I 
shore  am  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar ! " 

"You  old  race  horse!"  and  Big  Tom  jumped  to 
his  feet  and  gripped  the  hand  of  the  old  hunter. 
"  You're  a  sight  to  make  sore  eyes  well ! "  and  he 
shook  the  hand  warmly,  while  Mrs.  Clay  grabbed 
hold  of  the  other  hand  and  gave  him  an  equally 
hearty  welcome,  and  Gideon  and  Ruth  shouted  their 
joyous  greetings  and  tried  to  get  hold  of  him. 

"Now,  what  is  the  news?"  Big  Tom  continued, 


The  Hawk  Threatens  to  Strike  227 

the  moment  the  hand-shaking  was  over.  "  Haven't 
seen  a  soul  since  you  left.  All  the  kingdoms  of 
the  world  might  have  been  blowed  off  the  face  of 
the  earth  for  all  I  know!  Set  right  down  and  tell 
us  the  news,  Si." 

"  Yes,  do,"  urged  Mrs.  Clay.  "  I'm  just  dying  to 
know  the  latest  Paris  fashions,"  and  she  smiled. 

"  No,  yew  don't,  yew  inhospitable  critters ! "  and 
Silas  shook  them  both  off,  grabbed  up  a  chair  and, 
seating  himself  at  the  table,  seized  a  knife  and  fork 
and  began  cutting  huge  slices  off  the  venison  roast 
that  stood  on  the  big  pewter  platter  near  the  center 
of  the  table.  "  I  told  yew  I  was  hungry  as  a  b'ar," 
and  he  began  loading  a  plate  with  slices  of  meat 
and  potatoes,  "an'  here  yew  be  a-wantin'  me  tew 
put  off  th'  eatin'  an'  tell  yew  th'  news  an'  show  yew 
th'  latest  wrinkles  in  wimen's  gowns!  I  shore  am 
plumb  ashamed  o'  yew,  tew  be  obliged  tew  teach 
yew  good  manners  in  this  here  way,"  and  he  started 
shoveling  the  meat  and  the  potatoes  into  his  mouth ; 
and  not  another  word  could  the  laughing  and  pro- 
testing man  and  woman  get  out  of  him  until  he 
had  satisfied  his  hunger  and  pushed  himself  back 
from  the  table. 

"  Mother  o'  men ! "  and  Silas  clasped  both  hands 
over  his  well-filled  stomach  and  stretched  out  his 
long  legs  comfortably,  "but  it  is  good  tew  eat 
wimen's  cookin'  ag'in,  'specially  yewrn,"  and  his 
eyes  turned  to  Mrs.  Clay. 

"  Sometimes  I  think  you  must  be  mostly  stomach 
inside,  Si,"  laughed  Big  Tom.  "  But  now  that  that 


228  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

important  department  of  your  body  politic  has  been 
attended  to,  supposing  you  give  us  the  news.  And 
first  tell  us  about  Black  Hawk  and  his  Indians. 
I've  been  some  anxious  to  know  about  what's  been 
going  on  down  at  the  Indian  village,  spring  being 
the  time  trouble  appears  to  be  most  apt  to  break 
out  down  there.  Anything  gone  wrong  this  spring, 
Si?" 

"  Yes,"  and  the  old  hunter's  face  clouded.  "  That's 
why  I'm  here,"  and  he  straightened  up  in  his  chair. 

"What's  the  trouble  now?"  Big  Tom's  eyes 
fixed  themselves  anxiously  on  the  face  of  Silas, 
while  the  smiles  faded  from  the  faces  of  Mrs.  Clay 
and  Ruth,  and  Gideon  started  and  moved  his  chair 
up  nearer  to  Silas. 

"Wai,  if  I  have  th'  rights  o'  it,"  began  Silas, 
"  it's  mostly  th'  old  trouble  still  sizzlin',  aggervated 
by  th'  government's  failure  tew  furnish  th'  Injuns 
with  th'  promised  supplies,  th'  Injuns  bein'  powerful 
hard  up  for  food,  seem'  that  th'  hard  winter  an'  th' 
deep  snow  prevented  'em  from  dewin'  as  well  as 
usual  on  their  winter  hunt.  Then,  tew,  th'  whites 
are  try  in'  ag'in  tew  force  th'  Injuns  tew  cross  th' 
Mississippi,  so  that  they  kin  take  possession  o'  th' 
fertile  land  around  their  old  village  at  th'  mouth 
o'  Rock  River,  accordin'  tew  treaty,  th'  whites  say. 
But  Black  Hawk  says  th'  treaty  ain't  bindin',  'cause 
th'  Injuns  that  signed  th'  treaty  had  no  power  tew 
sign  it;  an'  he's  vowin'  ag'in  that  he'll  fight  afore 
he'll  be  driven  'cross  th'  Mississippi;  an'  his  bucks 
are  gittin'  uglier  an'  more  threatenin'  every  day. 


The  Hawk  Threatens  to  Strike 229 

Th'  settlers  all  round  here  are  gittin'  powerful 
uneasy;  an'  some  on  'em  are  leavin'  th'  country,  an' 
others,  so  I've  heered,  have  sent  a  petition  tew 
Governor  Reynolds,  askin'  him  tew  send  troops 
tew  drive  Black  Hawk  an'  his  bucks  'cross  th' 
Mississippi.  When  I  heered  that,  I  thought  it  was 
time  tew  let  yew  know  'bout  what  was  goin'  on, 
so  as  tew  put  yew  on  yewr  guard;  for,  I  reckon, 
when  Black  Hawk  learns  that  troops  have  been  sent 
for  tew  drive  him  'cross  th'  river,  as  he  soon  will, 
thar's  bound  tew  be  a  rumpus.  I  thought  yew  otter 
know  'bout  this,  Tom,  an'  so  I'm  here." 

"Right,  Si;  and  I'm  much  obliged  to  you,"  Big 
Tom  answered,  his  face  showing  the  deep  concern 
that  he  felt.  "  But,  if  I  understand  you,  there  has 
been  nothing  but  threats  so  far,  same  as  there  was 
last  year,  no  actual  hostile  acts." 

"Not  as  I  knows  on,  or  I  wouldn't  be  a-settin' 
here  calmly  talkin'  tew  yew;  but  I'm  countin'  on 
somethin'  hosteel  happenin'  sudden,  as  soon  as 
Black  Hawk  discovers  that  troops  have  been  sent 
for  tew  drive  him  'cross  th'  Mississippi;  an'  when 
it  does  happen,  yew  want  to  be  ready  to  act  sudden. 
This,"  and  Silas  glanced  around  the  little  log  house, 
"  won't  be  no  safe  place  for  wimen  folks  an'  yunks." 

"I  know,"  Big  Tom  answered  slowly.  "I've 
heard  that  the  settlers  have  built  a  strong  fort  on 
Apple  River;  and  I've  been  planning  to  take  the 
wife  and  the  children  there  the  moment  the  danger 
becomes  real.  God  knows  I  do  not  want  to  run 
any  unnecessary  risks  when  their  lives  are  at  stake ; 


230  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

but  I  can't  desert  this,  the  house  and  the  crops  and 
everything,  just  because  the  Indians  are  threatening. 
They  threatened  last  spring,  and  nothing  came  of 
it.  The  trouble,  in  the  past,  has  always  been 
straightened  out  in  time  to  avert  bloodshed.  But 
you  know  the  situation  better  than  I  do,  Si.  Now, 
what  would  you  advise  me  to  do?  I'll  do  just  as 
you  say,  Si.  If  you  think  the  danger  is  real  this 
time  and  that  there  is  no  time  to  waste,  we'll  start 
for  Apple  River  Fort  this  very  night ;  but  I  certain 
hate  like  sin  to  leave  all  this,"  and  Big  Tom  arose 
and  strode  to  the  door  and  stared  out  gloomily  into 
the  gathering  shadows  of  the  early  evening. 

Mrs.  Clay  was  quickly  by  his  side,  her  hand  on 
his  shoulder. 

"  It  is  only  threats  so  far,  Tom,"  she  said ;  "  and 
surely  you  won't  desert  your  home  because  of  Indian 
threats.  I'll  be  ready  to  go  the  moment  the  danger 
is  real;  but,"  she  turned  to  Silas,  "it  ain't  real 
enough  for  that  yet,  is  it,  Si  ?  " 

"  I  dunno,  I  dunno,"  and  the  old  hunter  shook  his 
head.  "Injuns  are  as  unsartain  as  fleas.  Yew 
think  yew've  got  'em,  but  yew  ain't.  They  might 
go  on  th'  warpath  eny  moment;  an',  ag'in,  they 
might  not  go  right  now;  but  it's  bound  tew  come 
sooner  or  later;  an'  yew  sartin  otter  tew  be  ready 
tew  move  sudden  when  it  does  come.  Now,  jest 
let  me  think  a  spell.  Nuthin'  was  ever  spiled  by 
thinkin',"  and  his  brow  wrinkled  and  he  stared 
down  at  his  moccasined  feet,  as  if  they  might  be 
the  source  of  some  mysterious  inspiration. 


The  Hawk  Threatens  to  Strike  231 

Big  Tom  and  Mrs.  Clay  stood  at  the  door,  their 
hands  clasped  tightly  together  and  their  anxious 
eyes  fixed  on  the  face  of  the  old  hunter.  Ruth  had 
hurried  to  her  mother  and  now  stood  close  by  her 
side,  one  hand  tightly  clutching  her  dress.  Gideon 
sat  still  in  his  chair,  his  eyes  on  the  face  of  Silas. 
No  one  spoke  or  hardly  moved.  Their  home,  their 
very  lives  might  depend  on  the  wisdom  of  the 
words  of  the  old  hunter. 

After,  possibly,  two  minutes  of  steadfast  gazing 
at  his  feet,  Silas  lifted  his  eyes. 

"I  reckon,"  he  said,  speaking  slowly,  "that  that 
plan  o'  yourn  tew  start  for  Apple  Fort  th'  moment 
things  begin  tew  look  real  dangerous  is  'bout  right. 
Now,  this  is  th'  way  I've  figgered  out  th'  present 
situation.  Th'  Injuns  may  or  they  may  not  go  on 
th'  warpath  right  now ;  but  yew  want  tew  be  ready 
no  matter  which  way  th'  cat  jumps.  So,  if  I  was 
yew,  I'd  put  sech  things  as  I  wanted  most  tew  take 
with  me  in  one  of  th'  wagins  an'  keep  th'  tew  hosses 
always  harnessed  an'  tied  near  th'  wagin,  so  as 
tew  be  ready  tew  jump  right  in  an'  be  off  at  a 
moment's  notice;  an'  durin'  th'  day  I'd  keep  a  sharp 
lookout,  an'  at  night  I'd  stand  guard.  Now,  that's 
what  I'd  dew,  if  I  was  yew,  pervided  I  wanted  tew 
stand  by  th'  home  as  long  as  possible,  same  as  yew 
dew,"  and  Silas  paused. 

"We'll  do  it,  Si,"  Big  Tom  declared.  "We'll 
do  it  this  very  night." 

"Good,"  and  Silas  straightened  up  his  long 
frame  and  came  and  stood  by  the  side  of  Mr.  and 


232  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Mrs.  Clay.  "'Twill  be  some  risky,  but  I  reckon 
I'd  chance  it,  Tom,  if  I  stood  in  yewr  boots, 
'specially  with  sech  a  wimen  tew  back  me  up,"  and 
his  eyes  turned  in  honest  admiration  to  Mrs.  Clay. 
"  Now,  I'll  start  right  back  early  in  th'  mornin'." 
he  continued,  "  an'  keep  an  eye  on  Black  Hawk  an' 
his  bucks,  an'  th'  fust  hosteel  move  they  make,  I'll 
light  out  for  here,  as  fast  as  th'  good  Lord'll  let 
my  legs  go;  an'  if  eny  Injuns  kin  git  here  afore  I 
dew,  they'll  shore  have  tew  fly." 

"  You  old  war  horse ! "  and  Big  Tom  turned  and 
clapped  Silas  heartily  on  the  shoulder.  "  You  shore 
have  lifted  a  big  load  off  my  back.  Now  we  can 
stay  and  feel  about  as  safe  as  humans  can  feel 
under  such  ticklish  circumstances,  knowing  that 
we've  got  you  to  warn  us  if  trouble  starts  our  way." 

"  But  be  on  yewr  guard  all  th'  time  jest  th'  same," 
admonished  Silas.  "Don't  fergit  for  a  minit  that 
it's  Injuns  that  yew  are  a-dealin'  with,  led  by  'bout 
th'  smartest  an'  th'  cunnin'est  chief  that  ever  wore 
moccasins.  Asides,  somethin'  might  happen  tew 
me,  so  I  couldn't  git  here;  but  I'll  shorely  come  if 
thar's  real  danger,  'long's  I  have  a  leg  under  me  tew 
come  on." 

"  I  know  you  will,  Si,"  Big  Tom  answered,  grip- 
ping his  hand  and  holding  it  tightly.  "And  the 
good  God  knows  that  we  are  obliged  to  you.  Now," 
and  his  lips  came  together,  "  we'll  get  the  wagon 
and  the  horses  ready  and  then  we'll  go  right  to  bed, 
all  but  the  guard." 

For  nearly  an  hour  all  were  busy.     The  wagon 


The  Hawk  Threatens  to  Strike  233 

was  pulled  up  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  door,  the 
horses  were  harnessed  and  staked  out  within  a  few 
feet  of  the  wagon;  and  their  most  precious  pos- 
sessions and  such  things  as  they  would  need  most, 
if  they  were  suddenly  called  on  to  abandon  their 
home,  were  stowed  away  in  the  wagon.  But  they 
were  very  careful  not  to  overload  the  wagon.  Their 
lives  might  depend  on  the  speed  of  their  horses,  and 
it  would  not  do  to  hamper  that  speed  with  a  heavy 
load. 

When  the  wagon  had  been  loaded  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all,  Big  Tom  insisted  that  the  lights 
should  all  be  put  out  and  that  all  should  go  to  bed 
at  once,  except  Gideon,  who  was  to  stand  guard  for 
the  first  four  hours  of  the  night.  Then  he  was  to 
awaken  Big  Tom,  who  would  stand  guard  for  the 
remainder  of  the  night.  Big  Tom  was  to  awaken 
Silas  at  the  first  sign  of  the  dawning  day,  and  he 
would  be  off  at  once  on  his  mission  to  the  camp  of 
Black  Hawk. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  COMING  OF  BEN   BLOCK 

TT7"HEN  Gideon  awoke  the  next  morning — he 
*  *  was  allowed  to  sleep  late  on  account  of  the 
guard  duty  he  had  done  the  night  before  —  the  sun 
was  two  hours  high  and  Silas  had  long  been  gone. 
His  father  was  out  in  the  field  at  work,  and  as 
soon  as  he  had  eaten  his  breakfast  he  hurried  out 
to  him,  rifle  in  hand. 

"Seen  anything  suspicious,  dad?"  he  asked,  the 
moment  he  came  to  where  his  father  was  at  work. 

"Not  a  thing,"  Big  Tom  answered.  "Reckon 
it's  only  another  Indian  scare ;  but,  as  Si  says,  when 
it's  Indians  it's  always  best  to  be  on  the  safe  side, 
so  we'll  just  continue  to  keep  our  rifles  with  us  and 
a  sharp  lookout  for  redskins  until  Si  gets  back.  He 
will  be  sure  to  hurry  back,  as  soon  as  he  knows  for 
certain  what  the  Indians  are  going  to  do.  God 
grant  that  they  be  kept  from  going  on  the  warpath ! 
It  would  be  terrible  to  have  all  this  beautiful  country 
ravaged  by  murdering,  destroying  savages."  His 
eyes  roamed  solicitously  over  the  peaceful  surround- 
ing prairie,  beautiful  with  the  blooms  of  many-hued 
flowers  and  melodious  with  the  songs  of  birds. 
"  Well,  we  can  only  hope  for  the  best  and  keep  our 
rifles  handy,"  and  he  turned  to  his  work. 

That  day,  and  all  the  succeeding  days  for  a  week, 

234 


The  Coming  of  Ben  Block  235 

passed  in  the  same  quiet,  peaceful  manner;  but  not 
for  a  moment  during  this  time  did  the  vigilance  of 
our  friends  relax.  Big  Tom  and  Gideon  carried 
their  rifles  with  them  wherever  they  went,  Mrs. 
Clay's  rifle  always  stood  loaded  near  her  hand;  the 
wagon,  loaded  ready  for  instant  flight,  was  always 
near  the  door,  with  the  harnessed  horses  tied  near 
by,  and  some  one  did  guard  duty  during  every  hour 
of  the  night.  Still  another  week  of  watchfulness 
and  suspense  passed  with  no  signs  of  Indians,  no 
sign  of  Silas,  not  a  word  of  any  kind  from  the  world 
outside  our  pioneer's  little  home.  Then,  late  one 
afternoon,  Ben  Block,  the  long-haired  and  long- 
bearded  old  hunter,  suddenly  walked  out  of  the 
woods  and  hurried  to  where  Big  Tom  and  Gideon 
were  at  work  in  the  field.  Gideon  was  the  first  to 
see  him. 

"  Dad,  look ! "  he  cried  in  great  excitement. 
"Some  one  is  coming!"  Then,  after  a  moment's 
keen  scrutiny  of  the  advancing  man,  he  added,  his 
voice  showing  his  disappointment,  "but  it  isn't  Si. 
It's  —  it's  —  I  know!  It's  Ben  Block,  the  old 
hunter,  the  man  who  told  us  of  the  Indian  trouble 
last  year,  that  day  we  killed  Old  Whitenose.  You  — 
you  don't  suppose  anything  could  have  happened  to 
Si  and  he  has  come  in  his  place  ?  " 

"I  shore  hope  not;  but  we'll  soon  know,"  and 
Big  Tom,  dropping  the  hoe  with  which  he  was  at 
work,  hurried  off  to  meet  the  old  hunter,  followed 
by  Gideon. 

"  I Ve  come  right  from  th'  village  o'  th'  Hawk," 


236  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Ben  Block  said,  the  moment  the  greetings  were 
over;  " an'  from  Si  Wegg,  tew  tell  yew  tew  be  ready 
eny  moment,  night  or  day,  tew  git  up  an'  git  fer 
Apple  Fort.  Si's  stayin'  ahind  tew  watch  th'  Hawk 
an'  make  dead  shore  that  th'  Hawk's  a-goin'  tew 
carry  out  his  threats  tew  fight,  afore  he  legs  it  tew 
yew ;  an'  he  wants  yew  tew  be  ready  tew  git  a-goin' 
quick  when  he  does  come,  'cause  thar  won't  be  no 
time  to  lose;  an'  he  told  me  'specially  tew  warn 
yew  not  tew  let  up  any  on  yewr  guardin'.  Th' 
trouble  shore  is  gittin'  hot.  Governor  Reynolds 
has  jest  sent  out  a  call  fer  volunteers  an'  General 
Gaines,  with  th'  reglers,  is  hurryin'  up,  an'  Black 
Hawk  is  a-vowin'  that  he'll  fight  afore  he'll  be 
driven  'cross  th'  Mississippi  River.  He  says  that 
he'll  not  be  forced  off  his  own  land,  th'  home  of 
his  ancesters,  where  his  fathers  are  buried;  that 
he's  not  af eard  o'  th'  Americans ;  that  he's  able  tew 
fight  'em  an'  drive  'em  intew  th'  sea,  if  necessary. 
It  shore  looks  as  if  there  was  a-goin'  tew  be  war 
this  time;  an'  then  God  pity  yew  lone  settlers!" 
Ben  Block  paused  and  allowed  his  eyes  to  dwell  on 
the  beautiful  scene  around  him. 

"  But,"  Big  Tom  questioned,  his  face  white  with 
apprehension,  "  there's  been  no  actual  bloodshed 
yet?" 

"No,  nobody  has  been  killed  yit,  if  that's  what 
yew  mean.  But  th'  Hawk  an'  his  warriors  are 
a-gettin'  ready  fer  war,  th'  Governor  has  called  fer 
volunteers,  th'  reglers  are  a-comin',  an'  that  is 
enough  tew  scare  most  o'  th'  settlers  white  an' 


The  Coming  of  Ben  Block  237 

they're  leavin'  th'  country  or  flyin'  tew  th'  fortified 
places  jest  'bout  as  fast  as  th'  good  Lord'll  let  'em. 
'Course  it's  none  o'  my  business;  but  if  I  was  yew, 
I  wouldn't  risk  anuther  night  in  that  lonely  log 
house.  What  could  yew  dew  if  fifty  or  a  hundred 
Injuns  should  attack  yew?  Keep  'em  off  fer  a 
leetle  while  maybe ;  but  long  afore  help  could  reach 
yew,  yew'd —  God,  man,  you've  got  a  wife  an' 
children!" 

"  No  man  need  tell  me  my  duty  to  my  wife  and 
children,"  Big  Tom  answered,  the  lines  on  his  face 
hardening.  "I  know  my  duty;  but,"  and  his  eyes 
swept  over  the  plowed  fields,  beginning  to  show 
green  with  the  growing  crops,  over  the  surround- 
ing prairie,  and  finally  rested  on  the  little  log  house, 
above  which  the  smoke  of  the  supper  fire  was  float- 
ing lazily  upward,  "  this  is  all  that  I,  that  my  wife 
and  children  have  in  the  world.  It  is  our  only 
home.  Have  you  stopped  to  think  that  our  going 
might  cost  us  all  this?  and  we  can't  afford  to  lose 
it.  Yes,  I  know  it  is  risky  to  stay  here,  but  we  are 
not  running  the  risk  blindly.  Some  one  is  on  guard 
every  moment  night  and  day.  Everything  is  ready 
for  instant  flight.  Si  has  promised  to  keep  an  eye 
on  the  Indians  and  to  warn  us  in  time  to  reach 
Apple  River  Fort;  and  a  fellow  can  depend  on  Si; 
and  he  has  only  warned  us  to  be  ready,  as  yet; 
and  we  are  ready.  Now,  under  these  circumstances, 
should  we  risk  the  loss  of  all  this  just  because  Black 
Hawk  and  his  warriors  threaten  terrible  things? 
He  has  threatened  terrible  things  before,  only  last 


238  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

year;  and  nothing  came  of  them —  But,  you  must 
be  tired  and  hungry.  Come  'long  with  me  to  the 
house.  Supper  must  be  nigh  ready.  I  want  to  talk 
it  all  over  with  Martha." 

"  Much  obliged,  but  I  kin't,"  answered  Ben  Block. 
"I've  got  tew  make  Big  Ike  Conrad's  tewnight. 
He  has  not  been  warned  yit.  Jest  stopped  tew 
bring  Si's  message  tew  yew.  Reckon  yew're  right 
'bout  stayin'  here,  come  tew  look  at  it  through 
yewr  eyes  an'  seein'  that  yew've  got  Si  Wegg  tew 
watch  out  fer  yew.  I'd  sartin  hate  tew  leave  all 
this  myself.  But  be  durned  watchful.  Injuns  is 
worser  than  smallpox.  When  they  breaks  out,  they 
breaks  out  sudden.  Sorry  I  kin't  wait  tew  give  my 
respects  tew  th'  missus;  but  I  must  be  gittin'  on," 
and,  with  a  good-by  grip  of  the  hand  to  Mr.  Clay 
and  Gideon,  Ben  Block  started  off  in  the  direction 
of  Big  Ike  Conrad's  distant  home. 

For  a  minute  or  two  Big  Tom  stood,  watching 
the  retreating  form  of  the  old  hunter,  then  he  turned 
abruptly  toward  the  house. 

"I'm  going  to  the  house,"  he  said.  "Your 
mother  must  know  at  once  about  this  message  from 
Si.  You  stay  out  here  and  keep  guard,"  and  he 
hurried  to  the  house,  leaving  Gideon  alone  to  do 
sentry  duty. 

Mrs.  Clay  was  busy  cooking  supper.  Ruth  sat 
on  the  bearskin-covered  lounge  playing  with  the 
baby.  The  moment  Big  Tom  entered  the  door  Mrs. 
Clay  turned  a  startled,  inquiring  face  toward  him. 

"What  —  what  is  it?"  she  asked,  her  face  whit- 


The  Coming  of  Ben  Block  239 

ening  a  little,  for  a  glance  at  the  face  of  Big  Tom 
had  told  her  that  he  had  news  of  some  kind  to  tell ; 
and  news  might  portend  terrible  things  during  those 
dreadful  days  of  suspense. 

"A  message  from  Si,"  Big  Tom  answered, 
"brought  by  Ben  Block,  the  hunter,  to  warn  us 
that  things  are  about  ready  to  come  to  a  head  be- 
tween the  Indians  and  the  whites,  and  to  be  ready 
to  start  for  Apple  River  Fort  at  a  moment's  notice." 

Then  he  went  on  and  told  her  in  full  the  words 
of  Ben  Block. 

"Now,"  he  ended,  "the  question  is,  what  shall 
we  do?  Ben  Block  evidently  thinks  that  we  are 
foolhardy  to  stay  here  another  moment,  that  we 
ought  to  pull  out  at  once  for  Apple  River  Fort, 
and  not  wait  for  further  words  from  Si.  He  seems 
to  think  the  outbreak  is  certain  to  come  soon;  and 
that,  when  it  does  come,  it  will  come  so  sudden 
that  lone  settlers  like  us  will  have  mighty  little 
chance  of  getting  away  before  the  Indians  are  down 
on  them.  God  knows,  Martha,  I  don't  want  to 
expose  you  and  the  children  to  any  unnecessary 
risks,  and  we  will  start  for  Apple  River  Fort  this 
very  night  if  you  think  we  ought  to,  and  not  wait 
for  any  further  word  from  Si.  We  can  leave  a 
notice  on  the  door  of  the  house  for  him,  so  that 
when  he  comes  he  will  know  where  we  have  gone. 
What  do  you  say,  Martha?"  and  the  eyes  that  Big 
Tom  turned  to  the  face  of  his  wife  were  full  of 
anxiety. 

For  a  minute  or  two  Mrs.  Clay  stood  silently 


240  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

v 

regarding  the  face  of  her  husband,  then  she  turned 
and  looked  slowly  around  the  homelike  little  room 
and  out  through  the  open  door  and  over  the  peaceful 
prairie  beyond. 

"  What  would  happen  to  the  house  and  the  stock 
and  the  crops,  if  we  left  now?"  she  asked  quietly. 

"If  the  Indians  came,  the  house  and  the  crops 
would  be  destroyed.  We  could  take  the  stock  with 
us,  if  we  were  not  in  too  much  of  a  hurry.  The 
crops,  if  we  were  away  any  length  of  time,  would 
perish  anyway  for  want  of  care,  and  the  house 
might  be  destroyed  during  our  absence.  But  I  ain't 
thinking  of  the  house  and  the  stock  and  the  crops. 
I'm  thinking  of  you  and  the  children." 

"I  know,  Tom,"  and  Mrs.  Clay  laid  a  hand  on 
Big  Tom's  shoulder.  "  But  you  and  I  and  the  chil- 
dren and  the  stock  must  be  fed  next  winter,  and, 
if  we  raise  no  crops,  how  can  we  do  that?" 

"  Reckon  we  could  get  along  somehow." 

"We  might;  but  the  oxen  and  the  cow  and  the 
horses  would  starve,  and  we  have  no  money  to  buy 
others.  Tom,  it  would  be  terrible  hard  to  be  obliged 
to  start  all  over  again." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  and  one  of  the  big  arms  drew 
the  brave  little  woman  to  him.  "  But  we  could 
do  it.  With  your  help,  I'd  be  ready  to  begin  all 
over  again  tomorrow." 

"  So  we  could,  if  we  had  to,"  she  answered, 
smiling  bravely.  "But  we  don't  want  to  do  it 
unless  we  have  to;  and,  according  to  both  Si  and 
Ben  Block,  Black  Hawk  is  just  threatening  again, 


The  Coming  of  Ben  Block  241 

the  same  as  he  did  last  year,  and  maybe  it  will  turn 
out  again  the  same  as  it  did  last  year.  Then  we 
would  wish  we  had  stayed  at  home  and  attended 
to  things.  I've  lived  through  too  many  Indian 
scares  to  be  easily  frightened  by  just  threats.  Then 
there's  Si.  He  is  right  there,  and  will  know  the 
moment  the  real  danger  begins ;  and  he  will  be  sure 
to  get  here  in  time  for  us  to  fly,  if  we  must.  No, 
Tom,  under  the  circumstances,  I  don't  think  it  fool- 
hardy for  us  to  remain  until  Si  tells  us  to  go  or 
we  know  that  the  Indians  have  actually  started  out 
burning  and  murdering.  Now,  I  know  that  you 
really  agree  with  me  about  staying,  don't  you, 
Tom?"  and  she  looked  up  into  the  face  of  her  big 
husband  with  an  encouraging  smile. 

"  You  are  right,  little  woman,  I  do  want  to  stay," 
and  the  big  arm  drew  her  close  to  his  side.  "  And 
we  will  stay  and  trust  to  Si  and  our  own  watchful- 
ness. We've  got  a  pretty  stout  fort  right  here." 
Big  Tom's  eyes  turned  to  the  thick  log  walls  of  the 
house,  pierced  with  numerous  loopholes.  "And,  if 
the  worst  comes  to  worst,  I  reckon  we  could  stand 
quite  a  siege  by  the  Indians.  Now  that  that  matter 
is  settled,  we  will  just  go  on  as  we  have  been  going 
on  and  depend  on  Silas  and  our  own  watchfulness 
to  warn  us  in  time."  He  picked  up  his  rifle,  which 
he  had  laid  down  on  a  chair,  and  went  out  where 
Gideon  was. 

Anxious  days  and  nights  followed  the  coming 
of  Ben  Block.  His  words  of  warning  and  caution 
had  renewed  and  strengthened  their  fears,  fears 


242  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

that  the  peaceful  days  following  the  going  of  Silas 
had  tended  to  lull.  Every  unusual  noise  startled 
them.  At  night  their  sleep  was  often  broken  by 
strange  sounds  coming  from  the  darkness  without, 
and  they  would  start  up  from  their  beds  and  listen, 
shivering  with  the  dread  of  what  might  be  coming. 
On  two  different  nights,  when  Gideon  was  on  guard, 
Big  Tom  had  become  so  uneasy  at  the  stillness  of 
the  night  outside  that  he  had  arisen  from  bed  and 
gone  out  to  assure  himself  that  everything  was  all 
right  with  the  boy.  Once,  during  the  day,  while 
Gideon  and  his  father  were  at  work  in  the  field, 
they  had  heard  a  distant  rifle  shot,  coming  from  the 
direction  of  the  woods,  and  both  at  once  had  hur- 
ried to  the  house,  and  had  climbed  to  the  roof, 
whence  they  could  see  for  a  long  distance  in  every 
direction.  There  they  sat  all  the  rest  of  the  day, 
their  eyes  watching  anxiously  the  surrounding 
prairie  and  the  line  of  the  distant  woods,  hoping 
that  the  shot  had  come  from  the  rifle  of  Silas,  yet 
fearful  that  it  might  mean  the  coming  of  the  In- 
dians. They  never  learned  to  what  woodland 
tragedy  that  rifle  shot  gave  voice. 

Thus,  day  after  day  of  this  dreadful  suspense 
passed,  without  a  sign  of  Silas,  without  a  word 
from  the  outside  world,  where  so  many  terrible 
things  might  be  taking  place.  The  dread  of  the 
Indian  outbreak  had  depopulated  the  prairies  and 
the  forests.  Not  a  traveler  passed  the  little  log 
house;  and,  of  course,  Big  Tom  did  not  dare  leave 
home  long  enough  to  go  to  the  distant  fort  on 


The  Coming  of  Ben  Block  243 

Apple  River,  the  nearest  point  where  he  could  be 
sure  of  learning  what  was  happening,  since  his 
nearer  neighbors,  doubtless,  had  fled  the  country 
or  gone  to  the  fort  for  protection.  Consequently 
they  were  obliged  to  wait  and  watch  and  hope,  with 
the  terrible  fear  of  the  sudden  coming  of  the  mur- 
derous savages  always  present,  uncertain  and  fear- 
ful of  what  the  day  or  the  night  might  bring  forth. 

This  long  waiting,  under  such  circumstances  of 
suspense  and  danger,  was  harrowing  to  the  nerves, 
dreadful  to  endure;  but  the  pioneers,  from  the  At- 
lantic to  the  Pacific  oceans,  had  to  endure  many 
days  and  many  months  of  such  suspense  and  peril 
before  our  great  country  could  be  wrested  from 
the  savage  and  the  wilderness;  and  we,  who  now 
sleep  quietly  in  our  beds  at  night  and  go  about  our 
work  peacefully  during  the  day,  should  sometimes 
stop  to  think  of  this  and  to  honor  the  memories 
and  recount  the  deeds  of  those  brave  men  and 
women  and  children,  who  made  possible  all  that 
we  now  enjoy. 

One  night,  late  in  June,  when  Gideon  stood  on 
guard  near  the  loaded  wagon  and  the  harnessed 
horses,  and  the  others  all  lay  in  their  beds  in  the 
house,  he  heard,  or  thought  he  heard,  the  sound  of 
a  light  step  out  in  the  darkness.  The  sky  was  so 
overcast  with  clouds  that  he  could  not  see  a  rod 
into  the  surrounding  darkness. 

"That  was  no  wolf!"  he  thought,  as  his  blood 
began  jumping  through  his  veins.  "Sounded  like 
a  human  being,"  and,  quietly  cocking  his  rifle,  he 


244  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

stood  motionless,  listening  intently  and  straining 
his  eyes  in  the  direction  whence  had  come  the  sound 
that  had  awakened  his  suspicions. 

Again  and  nearer  this  time  he  heard  the  sound 
of  a  step,  seemingly  not  more  than  two  or  three 
rods  away.  He  was  sure  now  that  it  was  made  by 
a  human  foot;  and  he  held  his  cocked  rifle  ready 
to  throw  instantly  to  his  shoulder. 

If  it  should  prove  to  be  an  Indian,  creeping  up 
on  the  lonely  log  house,  he  must  fire  at  sight  and 
rush  into  the  house  and  shut  and  bar  the  door. 
Such  were  his  instructions. 

Now,  as  Gideon  stood  there  in  the  darkness  wait- 
ing, watching,  he  swiftly  reviewed  just  what  his 
actions  should  be.  He  mentally  calculated  exactly 
where  the  door  was  and  how  long  it  would  take 
him  to  get  there.  He  wondered  if  there  would  be 
more  than  one  Indian,  and,  if  there  were,  if  he 
could  get  the  door  safely  shut  and  barred  before 
any  of  them  could  reach  it. 

Once  more  he  heard  the  sound  of  a  step  now 
close  at  hand ;  and  then,  from  out  the  near-by  dark- 
ness, there  came,  with  such  suddenness  and  unex- 
pectedness as  nearly  to  cause  his  heart  to  jump  out 
of  his  mouth,  a  loud  halloo ;  and  the  form  of  a  tall 
man  stepped  out  of  the  darkness  not  a  rod  away 
and  repeated  the  halloo. 

By  this  time  Gideon  had  his  wits  back  sufficiently 
to  recognize  the  voice  of  Silas  Wegg;  and,  with  a 
yell  of  joy,  he  fairly  hurled  himself  upon  the  old 
hunter. 


The  Coming  of  Ben  Block  245 

"  Jumping  bobcats ! "  and  Silas  leaped  about  a 
dozen  feet  to  one  side. 

"  Gosh,  but  yew  shore  did  startle  me ! "  he  said, 
a  moment  later,  as  he  gripped  Gideon's  hand.  "I 
'most  jumped  out  o'  my  britches." 

"  Dad !  Oh  Dad ! "  and  Gideon  dropped  the  old 
hunter's  hand  and  rushed  into  the  house.  "  Si,  Silas 
Wegg  has  come ! "  he  shouted. 

In  two  seconds  Big  Tom  and  Mrs.  Clay  and 
Ruth  were  all  out  of  their  beds  and  shouting  joyous 
greetings  to  Silas,  as  they  dressed. 

In  the  excitement  of  the  sudden  coming  the  dread 
of  the  Indian  outbreak  had  been  forgotten  for  a 
moment.  Big  Tom  was  the  first  to  remember. 

"Si,"  and  he  gripped  the  arm  of  Silas  tensely, 
"what  about  Black  Hawk?  Are  we  in  danger 
of  a—" 

"No."  There  was  a  joyous  note  in  the  old 
hunter's  voice.  "Light  th'  candles,  start  th'  fire, 
git  th'  coffee  a-bilin'  an'  th'  meat  a-sizzlin'  an'  some 
johnnycake  a-bakin'.  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar. 
Kin't  talk  on  an  empty  stumick.  Asides  I'm  plumb 
tuckered.  Runned  most  of  th'  way  from  th'  Hawk's 
village  tew  here,  so  powerful  anxious  was  I  tew 
git  th'  good  news  tew  yew  tewnight,  so  that  yew 
could  all  sleep  calm  an'  peaceful  once  more.  Black 
Hawk  an'  his  warriors  have  crossed  the  Mississippi 
River  an'  have  signed  a  treaty,  promisin'  not  tew 
recross  it  ag'in  tew  this  side,  without  permission 
o'  th'  government.  Thar,  that's  all  yew  are  a-goin' 
tew  git  out  o'  me  till  I  gets  some  food  intew  me,  so 


246  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

git  busy,"  and  he  threw  himself  down  on  the  skin- 
covered  lounge  that  stood  against  one  side  of  the 
room  and  stretched  out  his  long  legs  with  an  audible 
sigh  of  comfort  and  satisfaction. 

All  was  now  joyous  bustle  in  the  little  log  house. 
Candles  were  quickly  lighted,  wood  was  thrown  on 
the  glowing  coals  in  the  fireplace,  until  a  great  fire 
was  roaring  up  the  chimney;  and,  in  half  an  hour, 
so  swiftly  did  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  work,  a  feast  fit 
to  serve  a  healthy  king  was  on  the  rough  table  — 
hot  johnnycake,  with  plenty  of  fresh  butter,  wild 
honey,  broiled  wild  turkey,  potatoes,  and  milk 
gravy,  all  to  be  washed  down  with  steaming  hot 
coffee. 

"  It  shore  does  seem  powerful  good  tew  sot  down 
tew  a  table  ag'in  an'  eat  wimen's  cookin',"  Silas 
said,  as  he  drew  his  chair  up  and  began  stowing 
the  food  away  where  it  would  do  him  the  most 
good. 

After  he  had  "filled  up"  to  his  satisfaction  and 
had  again  stretched  himself  out  comfortably  on 
the  lounge,  he  told  his  impatient  and  interested 
listeners  the  story  more  in  detail  of  how  the  trouble 
with  Black  Hawk  had  been  averted  and  the  chief 
and  his  warriors  prevailed  on  to  cross  to  the  other 
side  of  the  Mississippi. 

"When  I  sent  Ben  Block  tew  warn  yew,"  he 
explained,  "  I  felt  mighty  nigh  sartin  that  it  wouldn't 
be  more'n  a  day  or  tew  afore  Black  Hawk  an'  his 
bucks  would  be  liftin'  white  scalps.  They  was  all 
het  up  'bout  th'  soldiers  comin'  tew  drive  'em  out 


The  Coming  of  Ben  Block  247 

o'  their  homes  'cross  th'  Mississippi ;  an'  Black  Hawk 
was  a-threatenin'  tew  dew  terrible  things.  General 
Gaines  got  thar  afore  th'  militia  did;  an',  I  reckon, 
'twas  powerful  lucky  that  he  did,  'cause  he  tried 
tew  reason  with  th'  Injuns  an'  didn't  dew  eny thing 
tew  rile  'em  more.  Fust  off  he  had  a  big  powwow 
with  all  th'  Injuns  an'  got  'bout  a  third  on  'em  tew 
cross  th'  Mississippi  peacefully.  But  th'  Hawk  an' 
th'  rest  o'  th'  Injuns  refused  tew  go  an'  defied 
Gaines  tew  make  'em  go;  an*  when  General  Gaines 
tried  tew  arger  with  'em,  Black  Hawk,  who  was 
painted  an'  armed  fer  battle,  proudly  told  him  that 
th'  Sacs  an'  th'  Foxes  were  not  cowards,  tew  be 
driven  from  th'  homes  o'  their  ancesters  like  deer, 
an'  boasted  that  they  were  not  a  feared  o'  th'  Amer- 
icans, an'  bade  'em  come  on  an'  they  would  drive 
'em  back  intew  th'  Great  Water ;  an'  even  th'  squaws 
runned  round  'mong  th'  warriors,  callin'  on  'em 
tew  fight  for  their  homes  an'  th'  graves  o'  their 
ancesters  like  men.  I  shore  thought  then  that  th' 
war  was  a-comin'  sudden,  an'  was  ready  tew  light 
out  tew  warn  yew  at  th'  fust  move  o'  th'  Injuns; 
but  I  knowed  I  could  be  most  help  tew  yew  by 
stayin'  right  whar  I  was  an'  keepin'  an  eye  on 
Black  Hawk  an'  his  warriors,  so  long  as  they 
remained  in  camp  at  their  village. 

".Wai,  four  days  ago  th'  militia  reached  th'  vil- 
lage, sixteen  hundred  on  'em,  'long  with  six  com- 
panies o'  reglers,  'bout  tew  thousand  fittin'  men 
in  all.  Black  Hawk  couldn't  muster  more'n  four 
hundred  warriors  at  th'  most. 


248  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"Tew  thousand  ag'in  four  hundred  was  tew  big 
odds  f  er  even  Black  Hawk  tew  buck ;  an'  that  night, 
atter  takin'  a  good  look  at  th'  size  o'  th'  army  ar- 
rayed ag'in  him,  he  an'  his  warriors,  with  their 
wives  an'  yunks,  hurriedly  paddled  'cross  th'  Mis- 
sissippi; an'  yisterday  th'  Hawk  an'  his  chiefs 
signed  a  treaty,  agreein'  tew  give  up  all  their  land 
this  side  o'  th'  Mississippi  an'  not  tew  cross  th' 
Big  River  ag'in,  without  th'  government's  say  so; 
an'  th'  government  agreein'  tew  supply  'em  with 
food  until  they  got  settled  in  their  new  home  an' 
could  raise  crops. 

"  Naterly  th'  Hawk's  f eelin'  'bout  as  pleased  over 
th'  way  things  has  turned  out  as  a  b'ar  caught  in 
a  trap  —  but  what  could  he  dew?  Four  hundred 
ag'in  tew  thousand!  Howsoever,  if  th'  government 
treats  him  honest,  I  reckon  he'll  stick  by  th'  treaty; 
but  he  shore  is  a  mighty  sore  Injun  an'  'twouldn't 
take  much  tew  start  him  raging  ag'in." 

Silas  was  too  tired  and  sleepy  for  the  talk  to  be 
prolonged  that  night,  and,  declaring  that  the  lounge 
felt  so  comfortable  that  he  was  going  to  sleep  right 
there,  he  bade  them  all  good  night,  stretched  out 
his  long  legs  on  the  lounge  and,  almost  as  soon  as 
he  closed  his  eyes,  was  sound  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  FLAMING  RED  DEATH 

'  I^HE  long,  quiet,  peaceful  days  of  summer  that 
-"-  now  followed  those  dreadful  weeks  of  suspense 
were  days  that  brought  many  quiet  joys  to  the 
pioneers.  The  weather,  the  greater  part  of  the 
time,  was  delightful.  They  were  surrounded  by 
all  of  the  beauties  of  growing  nature.  Wonderful 
flowers  bloomed  in  profusion  on  the  prairies  and 
in  the  woods.  Birds  were  constantly  flitting  hither 
and  thither  over  the  grass,  and  the  flower-covered 
prairies,  and  among  the  green  boughs  of  the  trees, 
filling  the  air  with  their  music.  And  over  all  hung 
the  mystery  and  the  quiet  and  the  peace  of  the 
wilderness. 

During  the  early  part  of  summer  an  abundance 
of  rain  had  fallen;  but,  with  the  coming  of  fall,  a 
long  drought  began.  For  nearly  six  weeks  not  a 
drop  of  rain  fell  and  hardly  a  cloud  passed  over 
the  face  of  the  blue  skies.  Fortunately  for  the 
Clays,  however,  the  drought  came  too  late  to  do 
serious  harm  to  the  crops ;  but  it  brought  them  face 
to  face  with  another  and  a  more  serious  peril  than 
even  the  loss  of  crops. 

The  protracted  dry  weather,  with  the  hot  rays 
of  the  sun  beating  down  day  after  day  on  the 
thirsty  earth,  soon  burnt  the  life  out  of  growing 

249 


250  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

vegetation  and  left  the  grass  and  the  flowers,  all 
the  beauteous  verdure  of  the  prairies,  standing  dead 
and  almost  as  dry  and  as  easily  ignited  as  tinder. 

Big  Tom,  as  day  after  day  went  by  without  rain 
and  the  grass  withered  and  dried  up  under  the  fer- 
vent heat  of  the  sun,  became  more  and  more  un- 
easy; a  worried  look  came  on  the  face  of  Mrs.  Clay, 
and  the  eyes  of  both  turned  frequently  to  search 
anxiously  the  surrounding  horizon. 

"If  the  dry  grass  should  catch  fire,"  Mrs.  Clay 
said,  one  morning,  as  she  stood  by  the  side  of  Big 
Tom  near  the  open  door  of  the  log  house,  looking 
out  over  the  parched  prairie;  "and  if  the  wind 
should  be  in  the  right  direction,  the  fire  would 
sweep  down  upon  us  with  the  speed  of  a  race  horse; 
and  —  and  —  Tom,  I'm  afraid  the  prairie  will  get 
afire.  Can't  we  do  something  to  guard  against  its 
harming  us,  if  it  should?  It  would  be  terrible  to 
have  all  this,"  and  she  glanced  toward  the  home- 
like little  log  house,  the  barn,  the  surrounding 
stacks  of  grain  and  hay,  and  the  other  conveniences 
and  comforts  that  their  busy  hands  had  gathered 
about  them,  "go  up  in  flames  and  smoke;  and,  if 
it  came  sudden,  it  would  be  dangerous.  Father  had 
a  sister,  Aunt  Melinda,  who  lost  two  little  children, 
a  boy  and  a  girl,  in  a  prairie  fire,"  and  she  shud- 
dered. "  Seems  to  me  we  might  back-fire  the  grass 
around  the  house  or  do  something  to  prevent  it 
from  reaching  us."  She  turned  her  troubled  eyes 
to  the  face  of  her  husband. 

"Yes,"  Big  Tom  answered,  "you  are  right.     It 


The  Flaming  Red  Death  251 

is  risky,  too  risky  to  go  without  protection  longer. 
The  grass  is  as  dry  as  tinder.  A  spark  would  set 
it  afire.  Concern  it  all,  why  don't  it  rain  ?  A  good 
shower  would  remove  all  danger.  I've  been  think- 
ing every  day  for  a  week  that  we'd  do  something, 
but  have  kept  putting  it  off,  hoping  it  would  rain. 
Howsoever,  we'll  put  it  off  no  longer,  but  start 
right  in  back-firing  this  very  day.  We  sure  don't 
want  to  get  caught  in  a  prairie  fire.  Confound  it, 
why  did  I  let  Si  and  Gid  go  off  on  that  hunt  down 
to  Grass  Lake  today?  They  won't  be  back  until 
late  and  they'd  be  a  powerful  lot  of  help  keeping 
the  back-fire  under  control.  Now,  I'll  need  your 
help  and  Ruth's,  too;  for  we've  got  to  be  powerful 
careful  and  not  let  the  fire  get  away  from  us.  We 
don't  want  to  start  a  fire  that  will  burn  out  our 
neighbors.  The  wind,"  and,  picking  up  a  handful 
of  the  dry  grass,  he  tossed  it  up  in  the  air,  "is 
coming  straight  from  the  east,  so  we'll  start  the 
fire  just  west  of  the  house.  Now  get  Ruth  and 
arm  yourselves  with  brush  brooms.  Bring  along 
a  broom  for  me,"  he  called  after  Mrs.  Clay,  as  she 
hurried  into  the  house.  "  I'll  get  a  couple  of  pails 
of  water  to  stick  the  brooms  in,  so  as  to  keep  them 
wet,"  and,  picking  up  a  couple  of  wooden  pails 
that  stood  on  the  bench  near  the  door  of  the  house, 
he  hurried  off  with  them  to  the  spring. 

The  object  in  back-firing  was  to  surround  the 
building,  or  whatever  it  was  desired  to  protect,  with 
a  sufficiently  wide  area  of  burnt-over  ground  to 
stop  the  fire,  for  lack  of  fuel,  or,  at  least,  to  stop 


252  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

it  in  that  immediate  vicinity  and  turn  it  aside.  This 
was  done  by  starting  fires  at  the  right  points  and 
then  being  very  careful  to  keep  them  under  control, 
by  beating  them  out  where  necessary,  until  sufficient 
ground  had  been  burnt  over  to  furnish  the  needed 
protection. 

Leaving  the  baby  asleep  in  its  cradle,  Mrs.  Clay 
and  Ruth  hurried  out  to  the  appointed  place  with 
the  brooms,  where  they  were  joined  by  Big  Tom 
with  the  two  pails  of  water. 

"  Reckon  this  is  as  good  a  spot  as  any  to  make 
the  start,"  he  said,  as  he  set  down  the  two  pails. 
"  Now  be  ready  to  beat  it  out  on  the  side  next  to 
the  house."  Stooping  down,  he  gathered  a  bunch 
of  dry  grass  into  a  little  pile,  took  the  lighted  pipe 
he  was  smoking  out  of  his  mouth  and,  carefully 
dropping  the  glowing  coals  out  of  its  bowl  on  the 
little  pile  of  dry  grass,  blew  on  them  until  they 
burst  into  flames.  A  moment  later  the  fire  caught 
in  the  surrounding  grass  and  began  to  spread  in 
an  ever  widening  circle. 

Big  Tom  and  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  now  thrust 
their  brooms  into  the  pails  of  water  and  beat  the 
fire  out  on  the  side  next  to  the  house,  allowing  it 
to  burn  in  the  opposite  direction. 

"  There,  that'll  be  about  as  much  as  we  can  safely 
manage  at  once,"  Big  Tom  said,  when  a  strip  of 
grass  about  four  rods  wide  was  burning  briskly. 
"Now,  you  keep  it  from  spreading  at  one  end," 
and  he  turned  to  Mrs.  Clay,  "  and  Ruth  at  the  other, 
and  I'll  keep  it  from  getting  too  rambunctious 


The  Flaming  Red  Death 


along  the  front  and  be  ready  to  help  either  one  of 
you,  if  you  need  me.  It  will  be  slow  work,  but  it 
will  be  the  only  way  we  can  be  sure  to  keep  the  fire 
under  control  all  the  time;  and  we  must  keep  it 
under  control,  for  only  God  Almighty  could  stop  it 
if  it  once  got  away  from  us." 

The  fire,  carefully  guarded  at  both  ends  and  beat 
down  in  front  with  the  wet  brooms  wherever  it 
began  to  blaze  too  hotly,  was  now  allowed  to  burn 
along  this  narrow  strip  of  ground  for  a  distance  of 
some  twenty  rods. 

"That  will  be  far  enough,"  Big  Tom  declared, 
when  this  point  had  been  reached.  "No  prairie 
fire  can  jump  over  a  strip  of  bare  ground  twenty 
rods  wide.  Now  we'll  beat  the  fire  all  out  and  then 
go  back  and  fire  another  strip  alongside  of  this 
one  ;  and  thus,  strip  by  strip,  work  our  way  around 
the  house.  It  will  be  slow  work,  as  I  said  before, 
but  it  will  be  safe  ;  and,  when  we're  done,  we'll  have 
a  strip  of  burnt-over  ground  twenty  rods  wide  sur- 
rounding the  house,  and  I've  never  seen  the  prairie 
fire  yet  that  could  jump  that  distance,"  and  he  began 
beating  out  the  fire. 

When  the  last  spark  had  been  put  out,  they  re- 
turned to  the  starting  point,  and,  firing  another 
four-rod  wide  strip,  guarded  it  in  the  same  manner 
as  before  until  the  twenty-rod  limit  had  been 
reached;  and  then,  putting  the  fire  out,  went  back 
and  fired  another  strip.  They  worked  hard  and 
by  noon  they  had  lengthened  the  strip  of  burnt- 
over  ground  until  it  half  encircled  the  house. 


254  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"We've  done  fine,"  Big  Tom  said,  pausing  and 
measuring  the  long  stretch  of  burnt-over  ground 
with  his  eyes.  "About  half  done  I  should  think. 
Now  we'll  stop  and  get  something  to  eat  and  rest 
up  a  spell." 

An  hour  later  they  were  again  hard  at  work. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  the 
burnt-over  strip  of  ground  extended  nearly  two- 
thirds  of  the  way  around  the  house,  Big  Tom  sud- 
denly straightened  up  and  stood  staring  anxiously 
off  over  the  prairie  to  the  southwest,  where  a  low, 
dark  line  of  smokelike  clouds  hung  above  the  hills. 

"  What  is  it,  Tom  ? "  Mrs.  Clay's  eyes  followed 
the  direction  of  his  eyes.  She  started  and  her  face 
whitened  at  sight  of  the  low  line  of  dark  clouds, 
that,  somehow,  did  not  look  exactly  like  ordinary 
clouds.  "You  don't  think,"  and  her  eyes  turned 
quickly  to  the  face  of  her  husband,  "  that  it  can  be 
that  the  prairie  is  on  fire  ?  " 

"  Looks  like  it,"  Big  Tom  answered.  "  But,"  he 
added,  quickly,  "we  are  safe.  We're  protected  on 
that  side.  And  before  the  fire  can  get  here  we  can 
have  the  rest  of  the  back-firing  nearly  done,  if  we 
work  lively,  so  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  keep 
busy,"  and  he  returned  to  his  work  with  renewed 
energy. 

For  half  an  hour  they  worked  on,  as  swiftly  as 
hands  and  legs  and  fire  permitted,  frequently  turn- 
ing their  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  dark  line  of 
smoke  that  was  constantly  and  swiftly  drawing 
nearer.  Then  a  heavy  black  cloud  was  seen  to 


The  Flaming  Red  Death  255 

shoot  up  over  the  top  of  a  distant  hill,  followed 
almost  instantly  by  a  dull  red  glow  along  the  line 
of  the  hilltop. 

There  could  no  longer  be  any  question  as  to 
what  the  clouds  of  smoke  meant.  The  prairie  was 
on  fire,  and  the  fire  was  driving  swiftly  straight 
toward  them. 

"  Great  Moses,  what  if  we  had  put  off  the  back- 
firing for  another  day!"  Big  Tom  exclaimed,  as 
he  watched  the  rapidly  lengthening  line  of  dull  red 
creep  along  the  tops  of  the  hills.  "  But,  thank  God ! 
we  are  safe  now.  Hurry,  and  we  can  come  mighty 
nigh  finishing  the  back-firing  before  the  fire  can 
reach  us.  We  will  make  the  strips  only  ten  rods 
long  now.  That'll  be  long  enough,  seeing  that  the 
fire  is  coming  from  the  other  side." 

All  now  worked  at  their  utmost  speed. 

Suddenly  Mrs.  Clay  dropped  her  broom  and 
straightened  up,  a  look  of  horror  on  her  face. 

"Tom!"  she  cried,  excitedly,  catching  hold  of 
Big  Tom's  sleeve.  "What  direction  is  Grass  Lake 
from  here  ?  " 

"About  due  southwest,"  Big  Tom  answered. 
"  Why — ?  God  A'mighty ! "  and  his  face  blanched. 
"That's  where  Gid  and  Si  went  hunting.  They'll 
be  right  in  the  line  of  the  fire!  But,"  he  added, 
quickly,  as  his  eyes  caught  the  look  of  horror  on 
Mrs.  Clay's  face,  "  it  will  take  more  than  a  prairie 
fire  to  catch  Si  Wegg  napping.  Don't  worry. 
They'll  come  out  all  right —  No  use  back-firing 
any  more.  We're  safeguarded,  thank  God!  But 


256  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

we'll  have  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  sparks.  Come 
on  to  the  house.  We'll  fill  up  all  the  pails  and 
kettles  with  water  and  get  ready  to  fight  any  fire 
that  starts,"  and  he  ran  toward  the  house,  followed 
by  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth. 

The  moment  he  reached  the  house  he  caught  up 
a  couple  of  pails,  ran  to  the  spring,  which  was  well 
within  the  protected  area,  quickly  filled  them  with 
water,  and  ran  back  to  the  house.  Mrs.  Clay  and 
Ruth,  with  pails  and  kettles  in  their  hands,  were 
only  a  few  feet  behind  him.  In  five  minutes  they 
had  everything  that  would  hold  water  filled. 

Fortunately  the  stock  were  all  safe  in  the  barn. 
Each  night  all  were  shut  up  to  protect  them  from 
the  wolves  and  the  bears;  and  that  morning  Big 
Tom  had  not  let  them  out,  on  account  of  the  back- 
firing, being  afraid  that  the  fire  might  frighten 
them  and  drive  them  too  far  from  the  house. 

All  was  now  done  that  could  be  done  to  safe- 
guard their  little  home,  and,  standing  very  close  to- 
gether, they  could  only  wait  and  watch  and  hope. 

By  this  time  the  red  line  stretched  across  the  full 
width  of  the  prairie  and  deep  into  the  woods.  It 
was  not  more  than  three  or  four  miles  away  and 
was  advancing  with  the  speed  of  a  race  horse. 

Already,  frightened  birds,  uttering  wild  cries, 
were  flying  through  the  air  above  their  heads  and 
terrified  animals  were  fleeing  for  life  from  the  Red 
Death.  Deer  sped  swiftly  by  within  a  couple  of 
rods  of  where  they  stood,  without  so  much  as  a 
glance  in  their  direction.  They  were  followed  in 


The  Flaming  Red  Death  257 

rapid  succession  by  the  less  speedy  animals,  wolves, 
rabbits,  foxes,  raccoons,  all  the  startled  wild  life 
of  the  prairie,  and  all  fleeing  from  the  red  terror 
behind.  A  black  bear,  followed  by  two  half -grown 
cubs,  lumbered  by  so  near  that  Big  Tom  could  have 
reached  out  and  almost  touched  them  with  the 
broom  he  held  in  his  hand.  The  air  over  head  was 
almost  filled  with  flying  birds,  quails,  prairie 
chickens,  partridges,  owls,  hawks,  and  thousands 
of  smaller  birds.  Some  flew  silently,  others  were 
constantly  uttering  frightened  cries.  A  huge  flock 
of  wild  turkeys,  racing  madly  over  the  ground  on 
their  long  legs,  aided  by  the  flapping  of  their  wings, 
almost  ran  over  them  in  their  race  to  escape  the  red 
line  of  death  behind.  All  the  wild  birds  and  animals 
had  lost  their  fear  of  man  in  their  greater  fear  of 
the  burning  death.  And,  even  the  three  human 
beings,  standing  there  with  their  eyes  fixed  anx- 
iously on  the  swiftly  advancing  line  of  fire,  gave  no 
more  attention  to  the  flying  birds  and  fleeing 
animals  than  did  the  birds  and  animals  to  them. 

By  now  the  fire  had  approached  to  within  a  couple 
of  miles,  and  they  could  see  distinctly  the  eager, 
leaping  advance  of  the  red  flames,  as  they  rushed, 
like  a  charging  army  of  fiery  coursers,  over  the 
prairie  and  through  the  woods,  where  every  now 
and  then  great  pillars  of  flame  shot  high  above  the 
tree  tops.  Above  the  red  flames  rolled  the  black 
smoke,  through  which  the  sun  shone  red  and  angry. 

It  was  an  awesome,  a  dreadful,  and  yet  a  won- 
drously  beautiful  sight,  that  swift  advancing  line 


258  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

of  flames,  plumed  with  black  smoke,  and  Big  Tom, 
with  Mrs.  Clay  clinging  to  one  arm  and  Ruth 
tightly  gripping  his  hand  with  one  of  hers  while 
she  clung  to  her  mother  with  the  other,  watched 
it  with  fascinated  eyes  and  rapidly  beating  heart,  a 
look  of  dreadful  apprehension  on  his  face.  He 
feared  to  look  into  the  face  of  his  wife,  for  he 
knew  that  he  would  see  the  same  apprehension 
pictured  there. 

What  had  happened  to  Gideon  and  Silas  ?  Were 
they  safe  ?  Had  they  escaped  unharmed  ?  Already 
the  fire  had  swept  over  the  region  where  they  were 
to  hunt.  If  they  only  could  do  something  to  set 
at  rest  their  doubt,  to  break  this  terrible  suspense, 
this  constantly  growing  fear!  It  was  torture  to 
stand  thus  idly  by  while  dear  ones  might  be 
perishing. 

"We  might  set  a  back-fire  to  meet  the  prairie 
fire,"  Mrs.  Clay  said,  at  length,  turning  her  white 
face  to  the  face  of  her  husband.  "  It  could  do  no 
harm  now,  and  it  would  make  us  a  little  safer." 

Before  answering,  Big  Tom  jumped  upon  a  log 
and,  holding  both  hands  to  his  eyes,  carefully 
scanned  the  prairie  intervening  between  them  and 
the  fire,  now  not  more  than  a  mile  away. 

Mrs.  Clay  watched  him  with  her  heart  in  her 
eyes.  She  knew  that  he  was  looking  to  make  sure 
that  no  human  being  was  out  there  on  the  prairie 
to  be  caught  between  the  two  fires,  should  they 
start  the  back-fire  to  meet  the  prairie  fire. 

"Yes,"  and  Big  Tom  jumped  down   from  the 


The  Flaming  Red  Death  259 

log,  "  it  will  be  safe  to  start  the  back-fire  now.  I 
would  have  started  it  before,  but  I  wanted  to  make 
sure  there  were  no  humans  out  there  to  be  caught 
between  the  two  fires."  Hurrying  into  the  house, 
he  filled  a  shovel  with  glowing  coals  from  the  fire- 
place and  started  on  the  run  for  the  outer  edge  of 
the  burnt-over  ground  that  surrounded  the  house, 
with  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  racing  after  him. 

The  moment  he  reached  the  edge  of  the  dry  grass 
he  began  scattering  the  live  coals  of  fire.  The  wind 
quickly  fanned  them  into  flames,  and  in  ten  seconds 
the  dry  grass  was  ablaze  in  a  dozen  places;  and,  in 
a  minute  more,  a  thin  line  of  flames  was  racing 
across  the  prairie  toward  the  coming  fire. 

At  that  moment,  over  the  brow  of  a  low-lying 
hill,  not  more  than  half  a  mile  away  and  lying 
directly  between  the  two  racing  fires,  the  figures  of 
three  men  staggered  into  view  and  ran  stumblingly 
down  the  hill  toward  the  house.  Two  of  the  men 
were  pulling  the  other  along  between  them.  The 
Flaming  Red  Death  was  not  more  than  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  behind  the  men,  and  the  constantly  widening 
line  of  back-fire  was  rushing  eagerly  forward  to 
meet  them.  They  were  caught  between  the  two! 

Mrs.  Clay  was  the  first  to  see  the  three  runners. 

''Tom!  Tom!"  she  screamed,  and  stood  for 
the  moment  speechless  with  horror,  pointing  with 
her  finger. 

Big  Tom  uttered  a  hoarse  cry,  hardly  human  in 
its  anguish,  tore  off  his  deerskin  coat,  flung  it  into 
the  arms  of  Mrs.  Clay,  and,  yelling:  "Quick!  Try 


260  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

to  beat  out  a  way  through  the  back-fire!  It's  Gid 
and  Si  and  some  one  they're  trying  to  save ! "  ran, 
with  all  the  speed  of  his  long  legs,  straight  toward 
the  three  men.  When  he  reached  the  line  of  back- 
fire he  leaped  through  it  and  over  it  and,  with  a 
loud  shout  to  call  the  attention  of  Gideon  and  Silas 
to  him,  he  sped  on. 

The  hurling  of  Big  Tom's  coat  into  the  arms  of 
Mrs.  Clay  seemed  to  galvanize  her  into  sudden 
action,  and,  yelling  to  Ruth  to  pull  off  her  outer 
skirt  and  come  to  her  aid,  she  rushed  toward  the 
now  furiously  blazing  line  of  back-fire  and  began 
frantically  beating  out  the  flames  with  the  deerskin 
coat.  In  a  moment  Ruth  was  by  her  side  and  aiding 
her  with  the  skirt  of  her  dress. 

At  first,  so  great  was  the  headway  of  the  fire, 
they  made  no  impression  on  the  flames.  Then, 
seizing  upon  a  weak  spot  in  the  line,  they  assaulted 
it  so  vigorously  with  coat  and  skirt  that  in  another 
instant  they  had  beat  the  fire  out  for  a  couple  of 
feet  —  three  feet  —  four  feet  —  a  dozen  feet;  but, 
to  do  their  utmost,  they  could  not  widen  the  breach 
another  inch. 

In  the  meantime  Big  Tom  was  running  as  he 
had  never  run  before;  and  he  had  need  —  he  was 
now  racing  with  death  —  for  the  prairie  fire  was 
gaining  rapidly  upon  Gideon  and  Silas,  hampered 
as  they  were  by  the  almost  helpless  man  they  were 
pulling  along  between  them.  Twice  they  stumbled 
and  fell  to  the  ground,  but  they  staggered  again  to 
their  feet  and,  still  pluckily  clinging  to  the  man 


The  Flaming  Red  Death  261 

between  them,   struggled  blindly,   desperately  on, 
with  the  fire  now  not  twenty  rods  behind  them. 

Unaided  they  could  never  reach  the  oasis  of  the 
protected  ground,  unless  they  deserted  their  helpless 
companion;  and  Silas  Wegg  and  Gideon  Clay  were 
not  the  kind  to  desert  a  companion  in  misfortune, 
however  great  their  own  peril. 

A  third  time  they  stumbled  and  fell  to  the 
ground,  with  the  fire  so  close  that  it  was  scorching 
their  backs  and  sparks  were  flying  all  around  them ; 
and,  as  they  staggered  to  their  feet  and  again  at- 
tempted to  lift  their  companion,  a  pair  of  huge 
hands  reached  down  and  caught  the  helpless  body 
up,  as  if  it  had  been  suddenly  deprived  of  all  weight. 

"  Run,  run  for  your  lives ! "  shouted  Big  Tom, 
as  he  flung  the  now  inert  body  up  over  one  shoulder, 
like  a  bag  of  grain,  whirled  about  and  ran,  almost 
as  if  unhampered,  back  toward  the  breach  that  Mrs. 
Clay  and  Ruth  were  still  desperately  keeping  open 
in  the  line  of  back-fire. 

Silas  caught  the  hand  of  Gideon,  who  was  stag- 
gering, and  the  two  ran  together,  their  tongues 
protruding  out  of  their  panting  mouths,  their  breath 
coming  in  gasps,  putting  every  ounce  of  remaining 
strength  into  this  last  desperate  effort  to  escape 
from  the  open  jaws  of  the  Flaming  Red  Death. 
Sparks  of  fire  fell  on  their  clothing,  in  their  hair, 
long  arms  of  flames  reached  out  to  grab  them;  but 
still  on  they  ran,  blindly,  dazedly,  following  close 
behind  the  giant  form  of  Big  Tom  Clay.  And  then, 
just  as  it  seemed  as  if  all  their  muscles  were  turning 


262  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

into  melted  tallow,  just  as  the  jaws  of  the  Red 
Death  were  about  to  close  down  upon  them,  Big 
Tom,  with  a  great  shout,  whirled  about,  caught  hold 
of  botlvand,  despite  the  burden  already  on  his  back, 
dragged  them  through  the  breach  in  the  wall  of  fire 
and  on  to  the  safety  of  the  burnt-over  ground 
beyond,  while  hungry  arms  of  flame  reached  far 
out  after  them.  In  a  minute  more  Mrs.  Clay  and 
Ruth,  crying  and  laughing  almost  hysterically,  were 
helping  drag  them  toward  the  house,  away  from 
the  blistering  heat  of  the  fiery  furnace  now  roaring 
and  crackling  all  around  them. 

The  moment  the  safety  of  the  house  was  reached, 
Big  Tom  lowered  his  burden  to  the  ground.  Then, 
for  the  first  time,  he  saw  that  the  rescued  man  was 
an  Indian,  a  boy,  but  little  older  than  Gideon.  A 
glance  told  him  that  he  was  not  seriously  hurt,  only 
completely  exhausted  by  his  long  race  for  life. 

"You  'tend  to  him,"  he  said,  turning  quickly  to 
Mrs.  Clay.  "  I've  got  to  watch  out,  or  some  of 
those  falling  sparks  will  start  a  fire,"  and,  seizing 
a  brush  broom  and  a  pail  of  water,  he  ran  to  where 
several  small  blazes  had  already  started  in  the  dry 
grass  near  the  house  and  quickly  put  them  out. 

Silas  and  Gideon  were  too  exhausted  to  utter  a 
word  or  make  a  move  for  a  few  minutes,  but  their 
faces  showed  more  eloquently  than  words  could 
have  told,  how  thankful  they  were  to  have  escaped 
the  fire.  Both  had  lost  a  little  hair,  and  a  number 
of  holes  had  been  burnt  in  their  clothes,  but,  other- 
wise, they  were  unharmed. 


The  Flaming  Red  Death  263 

The  Indian  boy  lay  where  Big  Tom  had  left  him, 
breathing  heavily,  but  showing  no  other  signs  of 
life;  and  Mrs.  Clay,  as  soon  as  she  had  assured 
herself  that  Gideon  was  unhurt,  hurried  to  where 
he  lay  on  the  ground. 

"Bring  me  some  water,"  she  bade  Ruth,  as  she 
bent  over  the  young  Indian.  "He  don't  appear 
to  be  hurt.  Just  completely  tuckered.  Land  sakes, 
but  that  was  a  narrow  escape!  Another  minute 
and  the  fire  would  have  got  you  sure."  She  shud- 
dered and  glanced  toward  the  flames  that  by  now 
nearly  encompassed  the  house. 

For  a  few  minutes  the  heat  from  the  encircling 
fire  was  almost  unbearable,  and  the  flames  stretched 
out  long  arms  hungrily  toward  them,  but  they  could 
not  jump  or  reach  across  the  twenty  rods  of  burnt- 
over  ground ;  and  in  ten  minutes  the  fire  had  swept 
by,  so  furiously,  so  swiftly  did  it  burn,  and  rushed 
on,  leaving  behind  the  home  of  our  pioneers  un- 
harmed, but  surrounded  by  a  black  and  smoking 
prairie. 

Silas  was  the  first  to  recover  his  speech. 

"Gosh!"  he  said,  turning  a  pair  of  twinkling 
eyes  to  Mrs.  Clay,  who  was  bending  over  the  Indian 
boy  bathing  his  head,  "  that  thar  race  has  made  me 
as  hungry  as  a  b'ar.  Dew  hurry  an'  git  somethin' 
tew  eat." 

"Reckon,  Si,"  laughed  Big  Tom,  who  had  just 
returned  to  the  house,  after  putting  out  the  last 
spark  of  fire,  "  that  when  Gabriel  blows  his  trumpet 
and  you  jump  up  out  of  your  grave,  the  first  thing 


264  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

you  say  will  be :  '  Gosh,  Gabe,  I'm  as  hungry  as  a 
b'ar!    When  dew  we  eat  ? ' " 

"  Reckon  I  will,"  grinned  back  Silas,  slowly  rising 
and  stretching  out  his  long  legs,  "  'specially  since 
I'm  apt  tew  be  powerful  hungry  atter  lyin'  in  a 
grave  ten  thousand  years  or  more.  Say,  but  that 
was  a  hot  fire !  I  thought  shore  it  was  a-goin'  tew 
scorch  th'  shirt  off  my  back!" 

This  rude  interchange  of  wit  broke  the  tension, 
and  all  laughed.  A  faint  smile  even  played  around 
the  lips  of  the  Indian  boy,  who,  under  the  adminis- 
trations of  Mrs.  Clay,  had  recovered  consciousness, 
but  was  still  too  weak  to  make  an  effort  to  move. 

That  was  a  night  of  general  rejoicing  and  thanks- 
giving; and,  after  the  bountiful  supper  that  Mrs. 
Clay  fairly  outdid  herself  in  preparing,  Silas  and 
Gideon  told  of  their  race  for  life  with  the  prairie 
fire  and  how  the  young  Indian  came  to  be  a  sharer 
in  their  peril. 

They  had  finished  their  hunt  and,  on  their  way 
back,  had  stopped  to  rest,  both  being  quite  heavily 
loaded  with  deer  meat,  under  the  shade  of  a  little 
clump  of  trees  that  grew  in  the  midst  of  the  prairie. 
The  day  was  hot  and  they  were  in  no  hurry,  so  they 
sat  there  under  the  trees  talking  for,  perhaps,  an 
hour.  Suddenly,  just  as  they  were  about  to  start 
again  on  their  way  back  home,  the  young  Indian, 
his  eyes  wild  with  fright,  came  tearing  through 
the  underbrush  and  almost  stumbled  over  them. 
Evidently  he  had  already  run  far,  for  he  was  pant- 
ing violently.  At  sight  of  Gideon  and  Silas  he 


The  Flaming  Red  Death  265 

paused  long  enough  to  shout:  "Fire!  All  prairie 
on  fire ! "  and  sped  on.  Hardly  had  the  words  left 
his  mouth,  when  Silas  and  Gideon  were  on  their 
feet  and  speeding  after  the  running  Indian,  leaving 
the  deer  meat  where  it  lay  on  the  ground. 

The  prairie  on  fire!  They  knew  too  well  what 
that  meant  to  waste  a  moment  in  delay. 

As  they  ran  they  glanced  back.  At  first  the  trees 
and  the  underbrush  hid  the  fire  from  them.  Then, 
as  they  reached  the  top  of  a  little  hill,  they  saw  the 
whole  horizon  behind  them  glowing  red  with  flames 
and  black  with  smoke. 

"  Make  straight  for  home ! "  Silas  shouted. 
"  We've  got  a  good  three  miles  th'  start  o'  th'  fire, 
an*  it's  not  more'n  tew  miles  tew  th'  house.  We 
kin  make  it  before  th'  fire  kin  git  us." 

It  did  not  take  them  long  to  catch  up  with  the 
young  Indian,  who  was  beginning  to  stagger  from 
exhaustion  and  was  gasping  for  breath. 

"  Kin't  leave  him  tew  burn,  even  if  he  is  Injun ! " 
shouted  Silas,  as  they  came  abreast  of  him.  "  Kitch 
hold ! "  and  he  caught  hold  of  one  of  the  Indian's 
arms,  while  Gideon  seized  the  other,  and  together 
they  ran  with  the  Indian  between  them. 

For  a  time  the  young  Indian,  stimulated  by  their 
help,  held  out  bravely  and  was  of  little  hindrance 
to  their  speed.  But  before  they  had  covered  a  mile 
he  gave  out  almost  entirely. 

"  No  good.  Can't  run  longer,"  he  panted.  '*  No 
can  save  all.  Indian  not  afraid  of  Red  Death.  Let 
Indian  go.  Save  white  brothers,"  and  he  attempted 


266  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

to  withdraw  his  arms  from  the  grip  of  Silas  and 
Gideon. 

The  fire  had  gained  rapidly  on  them;  a  back- 
ward glance  showed  them  this.  Hampered  as  they 
were  now  by  the  almost  helpless  Indian  boy,  it 
would  gain  even  more  rapidly,  and  the  log  house, 
their  only  hope  of  safety,  was  still  a  mile  off !  They 
might  reach  it  ahead  of  the  fire  if  they  dropped 
the  Indian  —  with  him,  it  seemed  impossible.  But 
neither  hesitated  an  instant. 

"No,"  panted  Silas,  tightening  his  grip  on  the 
Indian  boy's  arm.  "Jest  keep  yewr  legs  a-goin' 
an*  we'll  save  yew  yit.  Th'  house  is  jest  ayond 
that  leetle  hill  ahead." 

And  both,  almost  carrying  the  Indian  boy  be- 
tween them  and  with  the  fire  roaring  close  behind, 
pluckily,  desperately,  struggled  on,  up  the  hill  and 
over  its  top,  and  on  into  the  oasis  of  refuge,  as  has 
been  already  described,  saved  by  as  narrow  a  margin 
as  ever  spared  life  to  the  pluck  and  the  courage  of 
man. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

BEN   BLOCK  AGAIN 

THE  next  morning,  when  Big  Tom  awoke,  he 
started  and  sat  up  quickly  in  bed  and  listened. 

"  Great  Moses ! "  he  exclaimed,  in  angry  disgust. 
"If  'tain't  raining!  Now,  why  couldn't  it  have 
rained  yesterday,  when  it  was  so  badly  needed?" 

"  Don't  know,"  grinned  Silas,  who  was  Big  Tom's 
bedfellow;  "an'  I  don't  care  now/'  he  added,  philo- 
sophically. "  Yisterday  is  gone  an'  tewday  is  here ; 
an'  I  never  worry  'bout  what's  gone,  an'  I  allers 
try  tew  make  th'  best  o'  what's  here.  I  reckon  th' 
good  Lord  knows  his  own  business  best  enyhow; 
an'  so  I  allers  let  Him  'tend  tew  it  in  His  own  way, 
without  eny  remarks  from  me.  If  he  had  wanted 
it  tew  rain  yisterday,  'sted  o'  tewday,  it  would  have 
rained  yisterday,  an'  that's  enough  fer  me.  Now 
I'm  goin'  tew  git  up.  Must  be  long  atter  sunup, 
by  th'  way  that  calf's  been  a-bellerin'  out  tew  th' 
barn  for  the  last  hour,"  and  he  crawled  out  of  bed, 
followed  by  Big  Torn. 

The  muscles  of  all  were  somewhat  sore  and  lame 
from  their  exertions  of  the  day  before;  but,  other- 
wise, the  excitement  and  the  peril  of  their  fight 
with  the  prairie  fire  had  left  no  bad  results.  Even 
the  Indian  boy  had  fully  recovered  his  bodily 
strength  and  vigor  by  his  long  night's  rest  and 
sleep. 

267 


268  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"  How  you  feel  ?  "  Big  Tom  greeted  him,  heartily, 
as  he  climbed  down  the  pegs  from  the  room  above, 
where  he  had  slept,  and  dropped  to  the  floor. 

"Bully!"  gravely  responded  the  young  Indian. 
"Me  feel  bully!"  and  he  drew  his  lithe  form  up 
very  straight.  Evidently  he  was  just  a  little  proud 
of  his  use  of  the  word  "bully." 

"  Bully  for  you ! "  retorted  Big  Tom,  with  a  laugh. 
"Now,  just  make  yourself  to  home.  Come,  Gid, 
we  must  do  something  to  stop  that  calf  bellering, 
or  he'll  bust  his  gullet,"  and,  followed  by  Gideon, 
he  hurried  to  the  barn  to  attend  to  the  "critters." 

It  rained  all  that  day  and  far  into  the  next  night, 
a  steady,  soaking  rain  that  the  thirsty  earth  had 
been  long  craving;  but  the  next  morning  dawned 
clear  and  bright. 

The  Indian  boy  had  been  prevailed  on,  by  much 
urging,  to  remain  in  the  shelter  of  the  log  house 
until  the  storm  was  over.  But  he  was  ill  at  ease 
in  the  white  man's  wigwam  and  had  sat  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  in  a  corner  of  the  room 
almost  motionless,  watching  every  act  of  his  white 
friends  with  his  keen  black  eyes,  wonderingly,  curi- 
ously; but  never  asking  a  question  or  speaking, 
unless  spoken  to. 

Ruth  and  Gideon  had  vainly  tried  to  enter  into 
Conversation  with  him.  But  his  English  was  too 
limited  or  his  reserve  too  great;  for  he  answered, 
when  he  answered  at  all,  only  in  discouraging  mono- 
syllables. However,  they  did  find  out  that  his 
Indian  name  was  Kar-ray-mau-nee,  which,  he  said, 


Ben  Block  Again  269 

meant  Walking  Turtle,  and  was  given  to  him  when 
he  was  a  baby,  on  account  of  his  peculiar  method 
of  creeping.  "But,"  he  had  proudly  added,  "when 
Kar-ray-mau-nee  warrior,  he  have  warrior  name, 
not  papoose  name." 

Now,  however,  that  the  storm  was  over  and  the 
morning  had  dawned  clear  and  bright,  he  insisted, 
as  soon  as  he  had  eaten  his  breakfast,  on  going. 

"Wigwam  long  way.  All  day  walk,"  he  said, 
by  way  of  explaining  his  haste,  as  he  arose  from 
the  table  and  prepared  to  go. 

At  the  door  he  paused  and,  for  the  first  time, 
his  feelings  broke  through  his  Indian  reserve.  For 
a  moment  he  stood  looking  from  the  eyes  of  one 
to  the  eyes  of  the  other,  his  fine  young  face  showing 
that  he  was  struggling  with  feelings  he  did  not 
know  how  to  translate  into  words  or  acts.  Then, 
suddenly,  he  stepped  quickly  to  Gideon  and  Silas, 
who  stood  close  together,  side  by  side,  and,  catching 
hold  of  the  right  hand  of  each,  lifted  them  and  laid 
them  palm  downward  on  the  top  of  his  head. 

"You  saved  Kar-ray-mau-nee  from  the  Red 
Death,"  he  said.  "Kar-ray-mau-nee  never  forget. 
He  your  brother  as  long  as  sun  shines.  His  wig- 
wam your  home,"  and,  lowering  the  two  hands 
from  his  head,  he  gravely  and  yet  with  a  dignity 
that  seems  to  come  naturally  to  these  untutored 
sons  of  the  wilderness,  bowed,  after  the  white  man's 
fashion,  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth,  each  in 
turn,  and,  holding  his  young  head  erect,  turned 
and  glided  from  the  house  without  another  word. 


270  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

In  ten  minutes  more  he  had  passed  out  of  sight  in 
the  forest,  without  one  backward  glance,  save  that, 
just  as  he  was  about  to  enter  the  woods,  he  turned 
and  waved  a  last  farewell  to  his  friends  of  the 
little  log  house. 

The  grass  and  the  flowers  came  up  quickly  again, 
after  the  long  soaking  rain  that  had  so  closely  fol- 
lowed the  fire;  and,  in  two  weeks'  time,  it  seemed 
hardly  possible  that  the  verdure-covered  prairie 
could  have  been  swept  bare  by  hot  flames  so  recently. 

Winter  came  early  that  year.  The  first  week  in 
November  a  snowstorm  left  a  sufficient  depth  of 
snow  on  the  ground  to  make  good  sleighing,  and 
the  snow  lasted  all  winter.  Consequently  Big  Tom 
had  an  abundance  of  opportunities  to  try  out  his 
homemade  sleigh. 

Once  he  drove  as  far  as  Galena,  a  thriving  little 
town  that  had  grown  up  in  the  midst  of  the  lead 
mines  to  the  northwest;  and,  when  he  came  back, 
he  brought  with  him  three  half-grown  pigs  and 
half  a  dozen  pullets  and  a  cockerel.  Twice  they 
visited  Abe  Dixon  to  the  north,  and  once  they  drove 
as  far  south  as  Old  Man  Kellogg's;  and,  in  return, 
they  were  visited  by  the  Dixon  and  the  Kellogg 
families. 

Thus  the  long  months  of  the  winter  passed 
quickly  and  pleasantly  for  the  pioneers  in  their  little 
log  house  on  the  prairie,  and  spring  came  again, 
with  its  warm  winds  and  growing  grass  and  flowers 
and  singing  birds. 

Never  before  had  the  prairie  seemed  so  beautiful 


Ben  Block  Again  271 

or  so  peaceful  as  it  did  this  spring  of  1832.  The 
grass  and  the  flowers  were  unusually  luxuriant, 
probably  on  account  of  the  fire  of  the  fall  before, 
and  the  birds,  somehow,  seemed  to  be  more  numer- 
ous and,  to  the  ears  of  our  friends,  to  sing  more 
sweetly  and  happily  than  they  had  ever  sung  in  the 
past.  Possibly  it  was  their  own  happiness,  their 
own  joy  in  living,  that  gave  this  golden  tinge  to  all 
of  their  surroundings. 

Silas,  with  the  first  coming  of  the  warm  weather, 
had  again  succumbed  to  an  attack  of  the  wilderness 
itch  and  had  shouldered  his  rifle  and  departed.  Big 
Tom  and  Gideon,  during  the  daylight  hours,  were 
always  hard  at  work  in  the  fields.  Mrs.  Clay  and 
Ruth  and  the  baby,  now  just  learning  to  walk,  were 
happily  busy  in  and  about  the  house.  Indeed,  every 
waking  hour  was  a  busy  hour  and  all  the  hours 
were  happy  ones  during  these  quiet,  peaceful  days 
of  early  spring. 

"  It  seems  almost  too  good  to  be  true,"  Big  Tom 
said,  one  morning  toward  the  last  of  April,  as  he 
stood  in  the  opened  door  of  the  little  log  house  and 
looked  out  over  the  peaceful  prairie.  "  We've  been 
here  now  pretty  nigh  two  years  and  not  a  real  mis- 
fortune of  any  kind  has  happened  to  any  of  us. 
No  sickness,  no  crop  failures,  no  bad  luck  of  any 
kind;  and  the  future  full  of  smiles  and  promises.'* 

"Yes,  Tom,"  Mrs.  Clay  answered,  coming  to 
the  door  and  standing  by  his  side.  "  God  has  been 
very  good  to  us,  and  I  have  been  very,  very  happy 
helping  build  this  wilderness  home  for  you,  for 


272  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

you  and  the  children.  I  do  hope  our  good  fortune 
continues,"  and  she  glanced  a  bit  anxiously  around 
the  peaceful  scene.  "  But,  somehow,  I've  been 
feeling  lately  as  if  it  was  all  too  good  to  last,  as  if 
our  good  luck  could  not  continue  much  longer. 
It—" 

"  Shucks ! "  and  Big  Tom  smilingly  clapped  one 
of  his  big  hands  over  her  mouth.  "  Now  quit  your 
trying  to  borrow  trouble,  just  because  you  don't 
happen  to  have  any  of  it  at  home.  We  can  get 
along  without  it  splendid  for  quite  a  spell  yet.  Just 
look  up.  Our  skies  are  as  clear  as  the  skies  above 
us,"  and  he  glanced  upward.  "Not  a  cloud  any- 
where in  sight  and  the  sun  shining  glorious  and 
the  birds  singing  all  around  us.  Reckon  it's  just 
Clay  luck,"  and  he  laughed.  "I've  always  been 
called  a  lucky  dog.  Well,  this  won't  do  the  spring 
plowing!  See,  Gid  has  the  oxen  yoked,  so  I'll  be 
off,"  and  he  hurried  to  where  Gideon  stood,  with 
the  oxen  ready  yoked  together. 

Mrs.  Clay's  eyes  tenderly  followed  his  big  form 
for  a  moment,  and  then,  with  a  smiling  face,  she 
turned  and  went  about  her  work,  all  her  doubts  and 
fears  dispelled  by  the  cheery  words  of  Big  Tom. 
During  the  day  she  smiled  often  to  herself,  as  she 
moved  about  the  house;  and,  when  at  night  she 
went  to  the  door  to  call  Big  Tom  and  Gideon  to 
their  supper,  there  was  a  happy  light  in  her  eyes 
and  the  smile  was  still  on  her  lips. 

"  Land  sakes ! "  she  exclaimed,  the  moment  she 
looked  out  of  the  door,  "if  there  ain't  some  one 


Ben  Block  Again  273 

with  Tom  and  Gid,  and  they Ve  started  for  the  house 
already,  so  I  need  do  no  calling.  Now,  I  wonder 
who  it  can  be?  Don't  look  like  anybody  I  ever 
saw  before.  Ruth ! "  and  she  turned  to  where  Ruth 
was  playing  with  the  baby  on  the  floor,  "  set  another 
plate  on  the  table.  We've  got  company." 

"Who?"  and  Ruth  jumped  excitedly  from  the 
floor  and  ran  toward  the  door. 

"  Don't  know.  Never  saw  him  before.  Do  your 
work  before  you  do  your  looking,"  and  Mrs.  Clay 
pushed  the  excited  and  curious  girl  back  from  the 
door.  "Mercy  me!  I'll  surely  have  to  bake  some 
more  johnnycake!"  and  she  hurried  to  a  pan  of 
cornmeal  dough  that  set  on  the  bench  near  the  fire- 
place and  began  to  make  ready  another  batch  of 
johnnycake. 

"  Saw  you  coming,"  she  smiled,  from  where  she 
was  bending  over  the  fireplace,  as  Big  Tom  and 
Gideon  and  the  "company"  entered;  "and  I've 
already  got  another  batch  of  johnnycake  baking." 

"Martha!" 

Something  in  Big  Tom's  voice  caused  her  to 
straighten  up  and  glance  quickly  and  apprehensively 
up  into  his  face. 

"  This  is  Ben  Block,  the  hunter,  who  brought  us 
news  of  the  Black  Hawk  trouble  before." 

"  Mercy  on  us !  That  old  trouble-maker  ain't 
been  stirring  up  any  more  trouble,  has  he?" 

"Yes,"  Big  Tom  answered.  "He  — but  I'll  let 
Ben  tell  the  story,"  and  he  turned  quickly  to  Ben 
Block.  "  Set  down,  please,  and  tell  us  all  about 


274  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  matter.  Supper  can  wait,"  and  he  motioned 
Ben  Block  to  a  chair. 

Ben  Block  seated  himself  on  the  chair,  and,  hold- 
ing his  coonskin  cap  in  his  hands  and  nervously 
twirling  it  about  as  he  talked,  proceeded  to  tell  of 
this  latest  trouble  with  Black  Hawk. 

"  Th'  Hawk's  been  f eelin'  uglier  than  a  sick  b'ar 
ever  since  he  was  driven  'cross  th'  Mississippi  last 
year,"  he  began;  "an',  as  near  as  I  can  figger  it 
out,  it's  mostly  that  ugly  feelin'  left  over  from  last 
year,  aggervated  by  th'  government's  failure  tew 
furnish  his  people  with  th'  food  they  need,  accordin' 
tew  agreement,  that's  caused  this  sudden  outbreak 
on  th'  part  o'  th'  Hawk.  Enyhow,  he  crossed  the 
Mississippi,  sudden,  'bout  a  week  ago,  with  some- 
thin'  like  five  hundred  warriors  an'  his  women  an' 
children,  an'  headed  straight  fer  th'  Winnerbeggars 
village  on  th'  Rock  River,  where  that  lyin'  prophet, 
White  Cloud,  holds  forth.  I  ain't  much  use  fer 
that  old  repteel,  White  Cloud.  He's  got  tew  much 
oj  th'  snake  in  his  black  eyes  an'  crawlin',  glidin' 
ways.  But  th'  Hawk  'pears  tew  think  he's  some 
pumpkin  o'  a  prophet  an'  has  gone  tew  him  fer 
counsel.  Wai,  this  crossin'  o'  th'  Mississippi  by 
th'  Hawk,  ag'in'  treaty  an'  ag'in'  orders  look  so 
hosteel  that  th'  Governor  has  ag'in  called  fer  vol- 
unteers, an'  th'  regelers  are  a-comin',  an'  th'  settlers 
are  'bout  scart  out  o'  their  wits  an'  are  a  flying  tew 
th'  fortified  places  an'  buildin'  stockades  an'  gittin' 
ready  fer  all  th'  horrors  o'  an  Injun  war.  I  knowed 
that  Si  Wegg  had  gone  'cross  th'  Mississippi  on  a 


Ben  Block  Again  275 

hunt;  an'  I  feared  that  nobudy  had  warned  yew  o' 
th'  trouble,  seein'  that  yew  are  so  far  off  th'  regler 
trail,  an'  every  one  is  so  busy  lookin'  atter  his  own 
scalp ;  so  I  thought  I'd  better  come  round  an'  make 
shore  yew  knowed  'bout  it.  Of  course,  'taint  sartin 
that  th'  Hawk  means  war,  but  it  looks  a  powerful 
lot  like  it  an'  every  settler  otter  be  on  his  guard," 
and  Ben  Block's  eyes  turned  hungrily  toward  the 
table.  Evidently,  now  that  he  had  told  the  news, 
he  was  anxious  to  begin  the  eating. 

For  a  moment  Big  Tom  sat  silent,  staring  down 
gloomily  at  the  floor.  Then  he  quickly  raised  his 
head  and  turned  to  Ben  Block. 

"You  are  sure  Black  Hawk  had  his  women  and 
children  with  him  ?  "  he  asked,  his  face  brightening 
a  little. 

"Yes;  seen  them  myself." 

"  That  don't  look  much  as  if  he  meant  war.  In- 
dians don't  usually  take  their  women  and  children 
with  them  on  the  warpath." 

"  Sartin  not.  But  his  crossin'  th'  Mississippi  at 
all,  ag'in'  treaty  an'  ag'in'  orders,  is  a  hosteel  act, 
an'  th'  government  an'  th'  state  is  bound  tew  drive 
him  back;  an'  that  old  repteel,  White  Cloud,  has 
been  fillin'  him  up  with  talk  'bout  th'  British  helpin' 
him  with  arms  an'  food,  an'  that  th'  Winnerbeggers 
an'  th'  Pottawattomies  tew  th'  north  are  only  waitin' 
fer  him  tew  dig  up  th'  tomahawk  tew  join  him. 
Now,  all  this  'pears  tew  me  tew  look  as  if  th'  war 
was  bound  tew  come,  'though,  maybe,  th'  Hawk 
didn't  mean  war  when  he  crossed  th'  Mississippi. 


276  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

As  fer  th'  wimen  an'  th'  yunks,  what's  tew  hinder 
th'  Hawk  from  sendin'  'em  tew  one  o'  th'  friendly 
Injun  villages  tew  th'  north,  when  he  starts  out  on 
th'  warpath?" 

"Nothing,"  answered  Big  Tom,  the  gloom 
coming  back  on  his  face.  "Only  why  didn't  he 
leave  them  on  the  other  side  of  the  Mississippi, 
where  they'd  have  been  sure  to  have  been  safe,  if 
he  really  meant  war  ?  Well,  Martha,"  and  he  turned 
to  his  wife,  "what  do  you  think  about  this  latest 
Indian  scare?" 

"About  as  much  as  I  did  of  the  scare  last  year 
and  the  scare  the  year  before,"  Mrs.  Clay  answered. 
"As  you  say,  if  Black  Hawk  intended  to  make 
war,  it  seems  sensible  to  suppose  that  he  would 
have  left  his  women  and  children  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Mississippi.  Now,  I  don't  mean  that  I  think 
there  is  no  danger,"  she  added  quickly.  "There 
always  is,  when  it's  Indians,  especially  if  they're 
feeling  ugly.  But  I  don't  think  the  danger  is  any- 
where near  as  real  as  most  of  the  settlers  seem  to 
think  it  is,  judging  from  what  Ben  Block  tells  us; 
and  I  don't  think  anything  is  going  to  happen,  unless 
the  whites  themselves  do  something  to  spill  all  the 
fat  in  the  fire  and  force  the  Indians  to  fight.  I  — 
land  sakes ! "  and  she  made  a  jump  for  the  fireplace, 
"the  johnnycake  is  burning  up! 

"  Now,"  and  she  looked  up  from  the  smoking 
johnnycake  a  moment  later,  "  you'd  better  set  right 
down  to  the  table  and  not  wait  until  everything  gets 
cold.  I'll  get  another  batch  of  johnnycake  baking 


Ben  Block  Again  277 

right  away.  The  Indian  talk  can  wait  until  after 
supper,"  and  she  bustled  about,  making  ready  an- 
other batch  of  johnny  cake  dough,  while  Big  Tom 
and  the  others  pulled  up  their  chairs  to  the  supper 
table  and  began  eating,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of 
Ben  Block. 

Big  Tom  and  Mrs.  Clay  were  more  loath  than 
ever  to  abandon  their  prairie  home,  now  that,  after 
having  overcome  so  many  difficulties,  they  were 
beginning  to  feel  as  if  they  were  getting  firmly 
established.  Then  they  had  much  more  to  abandon 
now  than  they  had  had  last  year  or  the  year  before. 
The  log  house  had  been  made  more  comfortable 
and  homelike,  the  stock  had  increased  and  the  area 
of  ground  under  cultivation  had  been  greatly  en- 
larged. If  they  left  all  this  now,  right  in  the  midst 
of  the  planting  and  cultivating  season,  it  would 
mean  no  crops  of  any  kind  that  year;  and,  in  all 
probability,  the  loss  of  the  greater  part  of  their 
stock  and  the  destruction  of  the  house  and  the  other 
buildings.  This,  to  Big  Tom  and  Mrs.  Clay,  seemed 
like  too  big  a  sacrifice  to  make  on  the  chance  of  an 
Indian  outbreak,  especially  since  neither  of  them 
really  believed  that  Black  Hawk  had  crossed  the 
Mississippi  River  with  the  intention  of  going  on 
the  warpath.  Hence,  at  the  family  council  that 
gathered  after  the  supper  had  been  eaten,  it  was 
determined  not  to  abandon  the  little  log  house;  at 
least  not  yet,  not  until  something  more  decisive 
than  at  present  was  known,  Ben  Block  agreeing, 
now  that  Silas  was  away,  to  be  on  the  lookout  and 


278  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

to  warn  them  if  the  Indians  should  actually  begin 
hostilities. 

"We'll  keep  a  constant  guard,  night  and  day, 
and  have  everything  ready  to  start  at  a  moment's 
notice,  the  same  as  we  did  before,"  Big  Tom  said, 
when  the  final  decision  to  remain  had  been  made. 

"An'  I'll  be  off  early  in  th'  mornin'  an'  keep 
scoutin'  'round,"  Ben  Block  promised.  "An'  at 
th'  fust  real  hosteel  move,  I'll  light  out  fer  here  like 
a  streak  of  greased  lightnin'." 

Accordingly,  one  of  the  wagons  was  again  drawn 
up  near  the  door  of  the  house  and  such  things  as 
would  be  needed  most  in  case  of  a  sudden  flight 
were  placed  in  it,  and  the  horses,  ready  harnessed, 
staked  out  near  by. 

"  Oh,  dear ! "  Mrs.  Clay  complained,  as  they  were 
about  to  go  to  bed  that  night,  leaving  Gideon  to 
do  guard  duty  during  the  first  hours,  "  I'll  be  power- 
ful glad  when  this  Indian  trouble  is  settled  once  for 
all  and  we  can  live  in  peace.  Seems  to  me  that 
ever  since  I  was  born  there  has  always  been  a 
threatening  Indian  outbreak  hanging  over  my  head, 
like  the  sword  of  Damocles  it  tells  about  in  the 
school  readers;  and — and  — "  her  face  whitened 
—  "and  twice  the  sword  fell.  God  grant  that  I 
may  never  have  to  live  through  such  scenes  of 
terror  and  horror  again ! "  and  she  shuddered.  "  I 
had  begun  to  think  that  the  trouble  was  all  over  at 
last,  and  that  we  could  live  in  peace  in  our  new 
home.  And  now  we've  got  to  go  through  all  the 
dreadful  suspense  and  weary  watching  again,  and 


Ben  Block  Again  279 

try  to  sleep  with  one  ear  always  listening  for  the 
terrible  war  whoop  of  the  Indians;  and  be  ready 
to  jump  out  of  our  beds  any  moment  and  fight  for 
our  lives ! " 

"There,  there,"  and  Big  Tom  laid  a  hand  on 
the  agitated  woman's  shoulder.  "It  sure  is  hard, 
little  woman;  but  worrying  over  it  won't  make  it 
any  easier.  We've  always  pulled  through  in  the 
past  all  right,  and,  I  reckon,  we  will  this  time. 
Besides,  it  all  comes  in  the  day's  work  out  here  on 
the  frontier.  Now,"  and  he  smiled  cheerily,  "re- 
member I've  always  been  a  lucky  dog,  and  go  to 
bed  and  dream  of  the  time  thirty  years  from  now, 
when  we  will  be  old  and  happy  and  contented  and 
living  right  here  on  this  land  that  we  have  wrested 
from  the  wilderness  and  the  savage,  surrounded  by 
our  prosperous  children,  yes,  and  maybe  by  our 
grandchildren.  It's  worth  it  all,  Martha,  all  that 
we  are  enduring  now ! " 

"You  are  right,  Tom,"  and  a  tender  light  came 
into  the  brave  woman's  eyes.  "It  is  worth  it  all; 
and  I  was  foolish  and  weak  to  complain.  We'll 
just  make  the  best  of  everything  that  comes,  for  the 
children's  and — and  the  grandchildren's  sakes." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  HAWK  STRIKES 

'  I  ^HE  sun  was  just  showing  above  the  eastern 
-*-  horizon  the  next  morning  when  Ben  Block 
arose  from  the  breakfast  table  and  made  ready  to 
leave  the  little  log  house  on  the  prairie. 

"I'll  keep  a  sharp  lookout,"  he  promised,  as  he 
threw  powder  horn  and  bullet  pouch  over  his  shoul- 
der and  tightened  his  belt,  "an'  let  yew  know  tew 
once,  if  th'  Injuns  start  on  th'  warpath.  But  don't 
let  up  none  on  yewr  watchin',  'til  yew  hear  from 
me  or  know  fer  sartin  that  th'  danger  is  over. 
Kin't  be  tew  keerful,  when  it's  Injuns,  an'  one  o' 
their  scalpin'  parties  might  git  th'  start  o'  me,  or 
somethin'  might  happen  tew  delay  me.  Now  I 
must  be  goin',"  and,  with  a  good-by  shake  of  the 
hand  of  each,  he  tossed  the  long  barrel  of  his  rifle 
up  on  his  shoulder  and  hurried  off,  with  the  free 
and  easy  stride  the  wilderness  gives  its  devotees. 

Long,  weary  days  of  suspense  and  watchfulness 
—  days  when  the  eyes  of  some  one  of  them  were 
on  guard  every  hour,  night  and  day,  and  the  wagoa 
and  the  harnessed  horses  always  stood  ready  for 
instant  flight  —  now  passed  without  the  sign  of  a 
break  in  the  peaceful  quietness  of  the  surrounding 
woods  and  prairie. 

"Reckon  it  will  turn  out  to  be  just  a  scare,  the 
280 


The  Hawk  Strikes  281 

same  as  the  other  did,"  Big  Tom  said,  one  evening, 
as  he  came  into  the  house  after  the  day's  work  was 
done,  leaving  Gideon  on  guard  outside.  "Accord- 
ing to  Ben  Block,  Black  Hawk  must  have  crossed 
the  Mississippi  the  first  week  in  April — -more  than 
a  month  ago!  I  don't  believe  a  real  Indian  out- 
break could  hang  fire  that  long,  without  something 
happening  to  touch  it  off.  I've  a  notion  to  let  up 
a  little  on  this  eternal  watching.  I —  Why, 
Martha,  what  is  the  trouble?"  and  he  started 
quickly  toward  Mrs.  Clay,  who  had  just  turned  a 
worried,  anxious  face  in  his  direction. 

"  The  baby  is  sick,  Tom,"  Mrs.  Clay's  voice  trem- 
bled, and  her  eyes  turned  to  the  bed,  where  the 
baby  lay  with  Ruth  sitting  by  her  side,  fanning 
her.  "  She  was  taken  terrible  bad  about  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon,  but  is  resting  easier  now.  Tom, 
I'm  afraid  baby  has  that  same  dreadful  sickness 
that  my  sister  Ann  died  with,  when  she  was  little. 
Baby  acts  and  looks  just  as  sister  did  when  she  was 
coming  down  with  it.  Tom,  if  it  is  that  dreadful 
fever,  what  will  we  do  ?  " 

Big  Tom's  face  whitened;  for  a  serious  illness, 
in  their  present  situation  of  isolation  and  peril,  far 
from  a  doctor,  would  be  terrible;  and  he  hurried 
to  the  side  of  the  bed  and  bent  anxiously  over  the 
baby. 

No  need  of  a  second  look  into  the  unnaturally 
bright  eyes  and  on  the  hot,  feverish  cheeks  and 
flushed  forehead  to  tell  him  that  his  baby  was  a 
very  sick  child.  She  lay  on  the  bed,  moaning  softly 


282  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

and  turning  restlessly  from  side  to  side.  The  mo- 
ment her  eyes  caught  sight  of  her  father's  face  she 
uttered  a  glad  little  cry,  and,  reaching  out,  caught 
one  of  his  big  fingers  in  her  hot  little  hand  and 
pulled  him  down  close  to  her. 

"  Baby  sick.  Baby  sick,"  she  said,  as  she  reached 
up  with  the  other  hand  and  arm  and  pulled  his 
head  down.  "  Papa  kiss  baby.  Kiss  poor  sick 
baby." 

"Yes,  yes."  Big  Tom's  voice  was  so  husky  he 
spoke  with  difficulty.  "  Papa  kiss  baby.  Make 
naughty  sick  go  way,"  and  he  pressed  his  lips  to 
the  hot  cheek  and  tenderly  laid  one  of  his  big  hands 
on  the  flushed  little  forehead  and  gently  smoothed 
back  the  soft,  moist  hair.  "Baby  will  soon  be 
well,  now  that  papa  has  come.  Baby  shut  eyes  and 
go  to  sleep." 

The  child  smiled  confidently  and  obediently  closed 
her  eyes;  but  almost  instantly  opened  them  again, 
with  a  cry  of  pain  that  went  through  the  father's 
and  the  mother's  hearts  like  a  sharp  knife. 

There  was  no  supper  eaten  that  night ;  and  Ruth's 
and  Gideon's  eyes  were  the  only  ones  that  closed  for 
a  moment  in  sleep.  All  night  long  the  baby  lay 
moaning  and  crying,  and  all  night  long  Mrs.  Clay 
and  Big  Tom  bent  anxiously  over  her,  doing  every- 
thing that  love  and  their  rude  knowledge  could  sug- 
gest to  ease  her  suffering,  and  doing  it  all  vainly. 

With  the  first  light  of  dawning  day,  Mrs.  Clay 
turned  a  white,  haggard  face  to  Big  Tom.  "  Tom, 
Tom,  I'm  afraid  baby  will  die.  Oh,  if  we  only 


The  Hawk  Strikes  283 

could  have  a  doctor!  He  might  do  something  to 
save  her.  Isn't  there  a  doctor  somewhere  that  we 
can  get?"  and  she  caught  hold  of  Big  Tom  with 
both  of  her  trembling  hands.  "  Do  —  do  something, 
can't  you,  to  save  our  baby?" 

For  a  moment  Big  Tom  stood  silent.  His  baby 
lay  sick,  dying,  it  might  be,  for  want  of  a  doctor. 
His  home  was  threatened  by  murderous  Indians. 
If  he  went  for  a  doctor  —  there  was,  doubtless,  one 
stationed  at  Fort  Armstrong  on  Rock  Island,  a 
good  day's  journey  from  there,  although  a  fast 
horse  might  make  it  in  less  time  —  the  Indians  might 
attack  the  lonely  log  house  during  his  absence  and 
kill  all.  If  he  did  not  go,  and  the  baby  should  die  — 
But  the  baby  was  there,  suffering,  before  his  own 
eyes ;  and  the  Indians  were  only  a  possibility !  His 
strong  jaws  came  together  and  he  straightened  up 
his  big  body. 

"God  helping  me,  Martha,  I  will  get  a  doctor," 
he  said,  quietly.  "There  must  be  a  government 
doctor  stationed  at  Fort  Armstrong.  Now  get  me 
a  snatch  to  eat,  while  I'm  saddling  the  horse  and 
giving  Gideon  his  instructions,"  and  he  hurried  out 
of  the  house. 

Ten  minutes  later  Gideon  held  the  saddled  and 
bridled  horse  ready  at  the  door,  while  Big  Tom 
quickly  ate  his  hastily  prepared  breakfast. 

"  I'll  be  back  just  as  soon  as  the  good  Lord'll  let 
me,"  he  said,  as  he  jumped  up  from  the  table,  "  and 
I'll  bring  a  doctor  with  me  if  I  have  to  hog-tie  him 
and  bring  him  on  the  horse  in  front  of  me,"  and 


284  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

his  strong  jaws  came  together  with  a  snap  that 
boded  ill  for  the  doctor  who  would  have  the  temer- 
ity to  refuse  to  come  with  him. 

The  baby  had  now  fallen  into  a  troubled,  restless 
sleep,  and  even  in  her  sleep  she  moaned  and  was 
constantly  turning  from  one  side  to  the  other  and 
moving  her  little  limbs  about. 

"Good-by,  little  sweetheart,"  Big  Tom  said,  as 
he  bent  over  the  bed  and  kissed  her.  "Papa — " 
His  voice  choked  and  he  turned  abruptly  from  the 
bed  and  hurried  to  the  door.  He  knew  that  that 
might  be  the  last  time  he  looked  upon  his  baby 
living. 

At  the  door  he  turned  and  threw  an  arm  around 
Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth. 

"  Keep  up  your  courage,"  he  said,  as  he  drew 
them  close  and  kissed  them.  "God  surely  will  not 
desert  us  altogether.  I'm  sure  the  baby  is  better 
this  morning.  Trust  to  Clay  luck  to  bring  us  out  all 
right,"  and  he  smiled. 

"And  God,"  Mrs.  Clay  added,  reverently. 

"  And  God,"  repeated  Big  Tom,  bowing  his  head. 

As  he  mounted  the  horse,  he  turned  to  Gideon. 

" Son,"  he  said,  "I'm  leaving  them  in  your  care. 
Guard  them,  as  I  would  guard  them,  were  I  here, 
with  your  life." 

"  I  will,  Dad,"  and  Gideon's  voice  choked. 

"  I  trust  you,  son,"  and  Big  Tom  reached  down 
and  gripped  the  hand  of  Gideon  and  the  two  looked 
deep  for  a  moment  into  each  other's  eyes.  Then, 
without  another  word,  Big  Tom  struck  the  horse  a 


The  Hawk  Strikes  285 

blow  with  his  whip,  and  the  animal  sprang  off,  as 
if  he  understood  the  great  need  of  haste. 

Fort  Armstrong  was  a  small  fort  that  the  United 
States  had  established  on  Rock  Island,  an  island 
in  the  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rock  River, 
and  was  some  forty  miles  distant  from  the  house 
of  Big  Tom.  He  hoped  to  reach  the  fort  a  little 
after  noon,  secure  a  fresh  horse,  and,  with  the 
doctor,  start  back  at  once  and  reach  the  log  house  a 
little  before  midnight  of  the  same  day. 

He  rode  fast,  and  by  noon  he  had  covered  con- 
siderably over  half  the  distance  to  the  fort. 

So  far  he  had  not  seen  a  human  being,  but  had 
passed  a  number  of  abandoned  houses.  As  he  hur- 
ried by  he  could  see  evidences  of  the  haste  with 
which  the  houses  had  been  left,  as  if  under  the 
stress  of  a  great  danger;  and  the  sight  aroused  his 
own  fears  and  increased  his  anxiety  to  get  back  to 
the  lonely  log  house  on  the  prairie. 

About  one  o'clock  he  reached  an  eminence  from 
which  he  could  see  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi, 
still  some  ten  miles  away,  and  the  sight  cheered  his 
heart.  He  was  nearing  his  journey's  end.  He 
paused  for  a  few  moments  on  the  hill  top  to  breathe 
his  panting  horse  and  had  just  started  down  the 
hillside,  when  a  man  suddenly  jumped  up  from 
under  a  small  clump  of  trees  a  few  rods  away, 
where  he  had  been  lying  in  the  shade,  and  shouted 
excitedly  and  ran  swiftly  toward  him. 

Big  Tom,  at  sight  of  this  man,  pulled  up  his 
horse  with  a  violent  jerk  and  sat  in  the  saddle 


286  The  Totem  of  Black  Ha^vk 

staring  at  him  as  if  he  could  hardly  believe  the 
evidence  of  his  own  eyes,  for  the  running  man  was 
Silas  Wiegg.  As  he  came  nearer,  Big  Tom  could 
see  that  the  old  hunter  was  greatly  excited. 

"Mother  o'  men!"  he  panted,  the  moment  he 
came  up.  "What  yew  doin'  here!  Whar  yew 
goin'  ?  What  has  happened  ?  Quick !  Don't  waste 
no  words,"  and,  in  his  excitement,  he  caught  hold 
of  the  bridle  rein,  as  if  he  were  fearful  Big  Tom 
might  try  to  get  away  from  him. 

In  as  few  words  as  possible,  Big  Tom  told  him 
what  had  happened  at  the  little  log  house  and  why 
he  was  on  his  way  to  Fort  Armstrong;  and,  before 
he  had  finished  speaking,  Silas  had  whirled  his 
horse  about  and  had  headed  him  homeward. 

"Now,  git  right  back  home,"  he  cried,  "as  fast 
as  the  good  Lord'll  let  yew.  Black  Hawk  is  on  th' 
warpath,  murderin'  th'  whites  an'  headed  right  yewr 
way.  I  was  on  my  way  tew  warn  yew." 

"But,  the  baby  —  the  doctor  — I  —  " 

"Th'  baby  won't  need  no  docter,  if  th'  Injuns 
git  thar  afore  we  dew,"  Silas  interrupted,  impa- 
tiently. "Asides,  no  sane  docter  would  stir  a  step 
with  yew  in  that  direction  without  a  regiment  at 
his  back.  'Twould  look  tew  much  like  suicide." 

"But  —  "  again  Big  Tom  began. 

"God  A'mighty,  man!  Th'  Injuns  may  be  at- 
tackin'  yewr  home  this  very  minit.  Git  a-goin'  tew 
once,"  and  Silas  struck  the  horse  a  violent  blow 
with  his  hand,  caught  hold  of  the  stirrup  strap, 
and  ran  alongside  the  horse. 


The  Hawk  Strikes  287 

Big  Tom  made  no  further  resistance,  but  rode 
on  grimly  and  silently,  his  anxious  eyes  fixed  on 
the  ground  to  the  front  of  him  and  his  mind  busy 
with  dreadful  apprehensions. 

The  horse,  already  tired  by  his  long  ride,  re- 
sponded nobly  to  this  new  call  on  his  strength  and 
energy,  as  if  he  understood  the  necessity  of  the 
sacrifice  he  was  making.  For  fifteen  miles  he 
needed  little  urging;  then  his  strength  and  his 
breath  both  began  to  fail  him.  Now  Big  Tom  was 
remorseless.  He  plied  him  with  the  whip  without 
mercy,  and  for  five  miles  more  the  noble  brute  strug- 
gled on,  with  Silas,  marvelous  old  man,  holding 
fast  to  the  stirrup  strap,  running  pantingly  along 
by  his  side.  Then,  while  going  down  a  hill,  the  horse 
stumbled  and  fell,  struggled  to  rise,  but  could  not, 
and,  with  a  groan  almost  human  in  its  anguish,  fell 
back  again. 

Big  Tom  had  jumped  from  his  saddle  as  the  horse 
fell.  Now  he  gave  one  look  at  the  fallen  animal, 
caught  up  his  rifle,  which  had  been  jarred  from 
his  hand,  and  sped  on,  on  foot,  letting  the  horse  lie 
where  he  fell. 

The  two  men,  for  Silas  still  ran  by  the  side  of 
Big  Tom,  settled  down  into  a  steady,  doglike  trot, 
that  experience  had  taught  them  was  best  for  a  long 
run  such  as  they  were  making.  They  ran  silently 
and  grimly,  each  intent  on  conserving  all  the  powers 
within  him  to  the  one  end  of  reaching  the  little  log 
house  in  the  shortest  time  possible. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  they  paused  for  the 


288  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

first  time  on  the  top  of  a  little  hill  for  a  few 
moments'  breathing  space. 

"We  kin  make  it  in  less  than  an  hour  more," 
Silas  panted. 

"Yes,"  Big  Tom  assented,  as  he  threw  himself 
down  on  the  ground.  "  God  grant  that  we  are  not 
too  late!" 

"I  kin  see  no  signs  o'  Injun  devilment,"  and 
Silas's  eyes  searched  the  surrounding  horizon.  "  No 
smoke  from  burnin'  houses,  no  —  look  thar ! "  and 
he  raised  a  long  arm  and  pointed  to  where  a  heavy 
column  of  black  smoke  could  be  seen  rising  sky- 
ward some  ten  miles  to  the  southward. 

"That  must  be  the  home  of  Big  Ike  Conrad," 
Big  Tom  said,  half -raising  himself  from  the  ground. 
"  God  grant  that  he  was  warned  in  time  to  get 
away! —  My  God,  Si!"  and  he  jumped  to  his 
feet,  a  look  of  horror  on  his  face,  at  the  sudden 
thought  the  sight  of  the  smoke  so  far  to  the  south 
had  given  him.  "  That  means  that  the  Indians  must 
have  already  passed  my  place!  Come  on,"  and  he 
started  off  on  the  run. 

Without  a  word,  but  with  a  grim,  set  look  on  his 
leathery  face,  Silas  hurried  after  him  and  caught 
him  by  the  hand. 

"  Slow  up  a  leetle,"  he  warned,  "  or  yew'll  give 
out  afore  yew  git  thar." 

"  My  wife,  my  baby,  my  sick  baby,  my  boy,  my 
girl!  And  you  tell  me  to  slow  up!"  Big  Tom 
turned,  almost  furiously,  on  Silas,  jerked  his  hand 
away  and  raced  on.  But,  in  a  few  minutes,  he 


The  Hawk  Strikes  289 

recognized  the  wisdom  of  Silas's  warning  and 
slowed  down  to  the  steady,  doglike  trot. 

Silas  soon  caught  up  with  him  and  again  the 
two  men  ran  side  by  side. 

The  sun  had  already  set  when  they  drew  near 
the  spot  where  the  little  log  house  had  stood  that 
morning,  in  the  midst  of  its  peaceful  and  pleasant 
surroundings. 

"God  grant  that  all  are  safe!"  was  the  prayer 
in  the  heart  of  each,  as  he  sped  desperately,  stag- 
gering with  weariness,  up  the  hill  from  the  top  of 
which  the  home  place  could  be  seen  not  more  than 
a  mile  away. 

Big  Tom  was  the  first  to  reach  the  summit  of 
the  hill.  One  look,  and,  with  a  groan,  he  sank  down 
on  the  ground,  where  he  had  stood,  and  covered 
his  eyes  with  his  hands. 

It  was  still  light  enough  to  see  across  the  prairie, 
and,  where  the  little  log  house  had  stood  only  that 
morning,  there  was  now  to  be  seen  nothing  but  a 
pile  of  smouldering  ruins,  from  which  thin  columns 
of  smoke  were  rising  lazily. 

For  full  five  minutes  Silas  stood  like  a  statue, 
leaning  heavily  on  the  long  barrel  of  his  rifle,  his 
eyes  fixed  on  the  faint  red  glow  of  the  smoldering 
ruins  and  his  leather-like  face  drawn  into  deep 
lines  of  suffering  and  horror.  No  one  but  he  knew 
how  deeply  Mrs.  Clay  and  the  children  had  worked 
their  way  into  his  lonely  bachelor  heart.  He  felt 
the  horror  of  this  dreadful  thing  almost  as  much  as 
did  Big  Tom  himself.  At  last,  with  a  grim  tight- 


2go  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

ening  of  the  lines  around  the  mouth,  he  turned  to 
where  Big  Tom  crouched  on  the  ground  and  laid  a 
hand  on  one  of  the  heaving  shoulders. 

"Tom,"  he  said  huskily,  "Injuns  sometimes 
make  prisoners  o'  wimen  an'  yunks,  an'  if  they've 
been  made  prisoners,  we  must  rescue  'em.  Come 
on.  Let's  investergate,"  and  he  started  toward  the 
ruins. 

"If  they're  dead  I'll  kill  that  murdering  villain, 
Black  Hawk,  with  my  own  hands ! "  and  Big  Tom 
leaped  to  his  feet,  a  wild  light  in  his  eyes,  and 
savagely  gripped  his  rifle  and  hurried  after  Silas. 

The  Indians  had  been  thorough;  house,  barn, 
wagons,  everything,  had  been  completely  destroyed ; 
and  all  the  live  stock  driven  off  or  killed.  All  that 
was  left  was  the  smoking  ruins.  But,  although 
they  searched  until  late  at  night,  not  a  vestige 
could  they  find  of  Mrs.  Clay  and  the  children. 

"  No  use  lookin'  eny  longer,"  Silas  at  length  said. 
"They're  not  here,  which  means  th'  Injuns  have 
got  'em,  an'  thar's  hope  in  that,"  he  added,  his  face 
brightening.  "We'll  git  on  their  trail  th'  fust 
thing  in  th'  mornin'.  Now  we  must  git  all  th'  rest 
an'  sleep  we  kin,"  and  he  stretched  himself  out  on 
the  ground  where  he  had  stood  and  was  soon  sound 
asleep. 

Big  Tom  waited  a  few  minutes,  grim  and  silent, 
staring  dully  around  at  the  ruins  of  his  happy 
home;  then  he,  too,  lay  down  on  the  ground  by 
the  side  of  Silas,  to  get  what  sleep  and  rest  a 
pitying  God  might  send  him. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

MIKE  GIRTY 

GIDEON,  as  soon  as  his  father  had  ridden  off 
for  the  doctor  on  that  fateful  morning, 
attended  to  the  few  chores  that  yet  had  to  be  done 
and  then  went  to  the  door  of  the  house. 

"  Dad  said  I  was  to  work  in  the  potato  patch 
today,  so  as  to  be  near  the  house,"  he  said,  thrust- 
ing his  head  in  through  the  open  doorway.  "If 
you  want  me  for  anything,  just  go  to  the  north 
window  and  call.  How's  the  baby?" 

"She's  asleep  now,  thank  God!"  Mrs.  Clay 
answered  from  her  place  by  the  bedside,  a  note  of 
encouragement  in  her  voice.  "The  dreadful  pains 
seem  to  be  all  gone ;  but  the  fever  is  as  bad  as  ever. 
And — and,  Gid,  baby  didn't  know  me,  know  her 
own  mother,  when  she  awoke  a  few  minutes  ago, 
but  stared  up  at  me  in  such  a  dreadful  wild-looking 
way  that  I  was  glad  when  her  eyes  closed  again 
in  sleep.  Oh,  I  do  hope  your  dad  can  get  a  doctor 
at  Fort  Armstrong!  It  is  terrible  to  have  baby  so 
sick  and  not  know  what  to  do  to  help  her.  Now," 
and  she  rose  softly  from  the  bedside  and  came 
quickly  to  the  door,  while  her  eyes  swept  swiftly 
and  anxiously  over  the  surrounding  prairie,  "my 
boy,  don't  forget  that  you  are  the  only  man  about 
the  place  and  that  we,  Ruth  and  baby  and  I,  are 

291 


292  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

depending  on  you  to  keep  guard.  It  would  be 
terrible  to  have  the  Indians  attack  us  now  that 
your  dad  is  away  and  the  baby  is  so  sick!"  and 
again  her  eyes  searched  apprehensively  the  peaceful 
surrounding  prairie. 

"  Don't  worry,  mother.  I'll  keep  my  eyes  open. 
No  one  can  get  to  the  house  without  being  seen 
from  the  potato  patch.  Just  forget  all  about  the 
Indians  and  take  good  care  of  the  baby.  Dad'll 
be  back  before  morning,  and  he'll  surely  have  a 
doctor  with  him.  Now  I  must  be  getting  to  work," 
and,  taking  a  hoe,  which  hung  against  the  side  of 
the  house,  in  one  hand  and  his  rifle  in  the  other, 
Gideon  started  for  the  potato  patch,  while  Mrs. 
Clay  returned  to  her  place  by  the  side  of  the  sick 
baby. 

About  nine  o'clock  that  morning,  Gideon,  who 
every  few  minutes  paused  in  his  work  long  enough 
to  take  a  quick  searching  look  over  the  prairie 
and  along  the  long  line  of  the  woods,  was  startled 
to  see  the  solitary  figure  of  a  man  step  out  from 
among  the  dark  shadows  of  the  trees  and  walk 
swiftly  and  confidently  toward  the  house.  Gideon 
at  once  dropped  his  hoe  and,  picking  up  his  rifle 
from  the  ground  where  it  lay  near  him,  started 
also  for  the  house,  keeping  his  eyes  on  the  advanc- 
ing man  and  the  dark  line  of  the  woods  behind 
him.  As  the  man  drew  nearer,  he  could  see  that 
he  was  white,  a  large,  burly-looking  fellow,  roughly 
dressed  in  deerskins  and  armed  with  a  rifle,  toma- 
hawk, knife,  and  pistols.  He  swaggered  a  little 


Mike  Girty  293 


in  his  walk,  and  Gideon's  first  impression  of  him 
was  one  of  dislike  and  distrust. 

"Howd'y!"  the  man  called  out  the  moment  he 
came  within  hailing  distance,  throwing  up  both 
hands,  after  the  manner  of  Indians  when  they  wish 
to  signify  their  friendliness.  "  I'm  th'  bearer  of 
good  news.  Th'  Hawk  an'  his  braves  have  ag'in 
been  driven  'cross  th'  Mississippi,  an'  all's  as 
peaceful  an'  as  quiet  as  a  funeral,  so  yew  kin  hang 
up  yewr  rifles  an'  sleep  quiet  in  yewr  beds  once 
more.  Thought  yew'd  like  tew  know  'bout  it,  so 
I  stopped  on  my  way  tew  Old  Man  Kellogg's,"  and 
he  grinned  until  two  fanglike  teeth  showed  through 
his  shaggy  beard. 

"  That  is  powerful  good  news  to  us  right  now," 
Gideon  answered,  all  his  dislike  and  distrust  of 
the  man  vanishing  in  his  joy  over  the  message  he 
bore.  "Dad  is  away;  but  mother'll  be  right  glad 
to  see  you  and  to  hear  your  news.  You  see,  we've 
got  a  terribly  sick  baby  and  dad's  gone  to  Fort 
Armstrong  after  a  doctor.  Come  right  in  and 
tell  mother  the  good  news.  She's  been  afraid  the 
Indians  might  attack  us  while  dad  was  away,  and 
it  will  do  her  a  lot  of  good  to  know  that  that  danger 
is  over,"  and  he  started  eagerly  toward  the  house, 
anxious  for  his  mother  to  hear  the  good  news  as 
soon  as  possible. 

"So  yewr  dad's  away,"  the  man  said  as  he 
hurried  along  by  the  side  of  Gideon;  "an'  gone  fer 
a  doctor  fer  a  sick  baby.  That's  terrible  bad,  an' 
I'm  powerful  sorry  'bout  th'  baby;  but  I'm  glad 


2Q4  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

I  kin  ease  yewr  maw's  mind  'bout  th'  Injun  scare. 
Now,"  and  he  started  a  little  and  looked  keenly 
into  Gideon's  face,  "when  might  yew  be  expectin' 
yewr  dad  back?" 

"He  didn't  start  until  this  morning,"  Gideon 
answered  frankly.  "  But  dad  won't  waste  no  time 
and  he'll  sure  be  back  before  morning." 

A  look  of  relief  passed  over  the  face  of  the  man 
and  again  he  showed  his  two  fanglike  teeth  in  a 
smile. 

"  Pleasant  an'  kumfertble  home,"  he  said  as  they 
came  up  close  to  the  house.  "  It  shore  would  have 
been  tough  tew  have  had  all  this  destroyed  by  th' 
Injuns,"  and  again  he  smiled.  Then,  noting  that 
Gideon's  eyes  were  turned  from  him,  he  suddenly 
and  swiftly  lifted  his  right  hand  high  above  his 
head  and  allowed  it  to  fall  straight  downward. 

The  unsuspicious  boy  saw  nothing  of  this  move- 
ment, evidently  a  signal,  and  hurried  on  toward 
the  house. 

"Good  news!  Good  news,  mother!"  he  called 
out  joyfully,  the  moment  the  door  of  the  house 
was  reached.  "Here's  a  man  come  to  tell  us  that 
the  Indian  scare  is  over  and  that  Black  Hawk  and 
his  warriors  are  safe  across  the  Mississippi  again, 
so  we  needn't  worry  any  more  over  that.  Now, 
come  right  in,"  and  he  turned  to  the  stranger. 
"  Mother '11  be  right  glad  to  welcome  the  bearer  of 
such  news,"  and  he  entered  the  house,  followed 
closely  by  the  man. 

Mrs.  Clay,  at  the  sound  of  Gideon's  joyous  voice 


Mike  Girty  295 


and  words,  jumped  up  quickly  from  the  side  of 
the  bed  and  hurried  to  the  door,  her  face  a-light 
with  the  relief  his  words  had  brought  her.  She 
started  slightly  at  sight  of  the  man's  face;  evidently 
she  did  not  like  his  looks  at  first  any  more  than 
Gideon  had,  but  any  sort  of  a  looking  man  would 
be  welcome,  coming  with  such  news. 

"Mercy  me,  but  that  is  good  news!  I  could 
welcome  the  devil  himself  if  he  brought  such  news, 
that  is,  if  I  knew  it  were  true,"  and  she  extended 
her  hand  hospitably  to  the  man. 

The  man  started  at  Mrs.  Clay's  words  and 
glanced  sharply  into  her  face,  and  then,  as  if 
reassured,  grasped  her  hand  and  shook  it  heartily. 

"  I  shore  am  glad  tew  be  th'  bearer  of  sech  news 
tew  yew  at  this  time,"  and  he  glanced  toward  the 
bed,  where  Ruth  sat,  fanning  the  baby,  her  eyes 
on  the  face  of  the  stranger.  "Yewr  boy  tells  me 
that  yew  have  a  sick  baby  an'  that  his  dad  has  gone 
fer  a  doctor.  Sickness  is  shore  trouble  enough, 
without  eny  Injun  scare  on  top  o'  it;  an'  I'm  glad 
tew  be  able  tew  set  yewr  mind  at  rest  'bout  th' 
Injun  scare." 

"I  sure  am  right  glad  to  have  it  set  at  rest," 
and  Mrs.  Clay  smiled  wanly.  "  Now  set  right  down 
and  tell  us  about  it,"  and  she  motioned  him  to  a 
chair.  "The  baby,  poor  little  thing,"  and  the 
anxious  look  came  back  on  her  face,  "is  asleep; 
but  'twon't  disturb  her,  if  you  speak  low." 

The  man  seated  himself  near  the  open  door, 
where  he  could  give  frequent  glances  outside  and 


296  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

where  his  bulky  form  would  prevent  the  others 
from  seeing  what  was  going  on  outside. 

"  Seems  that  th'  Hawk  only  wanted  tew  go  tew 
th'  village  o'  th'  Winnerbeggers  tew  raise  a  crap  o' 
corn  tew  keep  his  people  from  starvin',"  he  began; 
"  an'  had  no  intentions  o'  goin'  on  th'  warpath ;  an' 
when  he  found  out  what  a  rumpus  his  crossin'  th' 
Mississippi  had  stirred  up,  he  was  some  surprised 
an'  scart,  not  being  ready  fer  war,  an'  so,  gatherin' 
his  warriors  an'  squaws  an'  papooses  together,  he 
hurried  back  'cross  th'  Mississippi,  afore  th'  soldiers 
could  git  tew  him.  That's  'bout  all  thar  was  tew 
this  latest  Injun  scare ;  but  it  shore  was  a  powerful 
big  scare,  while  it  lasted,"  and  he  chuckled  and 
hitched  his  chair  still  a  little  nearer  to  the  door. 

"  Well,  I  certain  am  glad  the  scare  is  over,"  and 
Mrs.  Clay  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief.  "  The  suspense, 
not  knowing  what  is  a-going  to  happen,  is  terrible 
wearing  on  the  nerves.  Now,  if  baby  only  will  get 
well,  I  sure  would  be  a  happy  woman.  Excuse 
me,"  and  she  hurried  to  the  bed  and  bent  anxiously 
over  the  baby,  who  had  begun  to  show  signs  of 
awakening. 

Gideon,  on  sitting  down,  had  laid  his  rifle  across 
his  knees.  The  man  now  reached  out  and  placed 
his  hand  on  the  gun. 

"  That's  a  mighty  fine  weapin  yew  have,"  he  said, 
as  he  lifted  the  rifle  from  Gideon's  knee.  "A 
powerful  fine  weapin,  jest  'bout  th'  right  heft  an' 
balance  —  " 

At  that  moment  the  soft  call  of  a  quail,  twice 


Mike  Girty  297 


repeated,  came  from  outside.  The  man  paused  for 
a  moment,  as  if  listening,  Gideon's  rifle  held  in 
his  hand. 

"Jest  'bout  th'  right  heft  an'  balance,"  he 
repeated,  "an'  comin'  tew  th'  shoulder  quick  an' 
easy,"  and  he  stood  up  and  suddenly  threw  the 
cocked  rifle  to  his  shoulder  and  pointed  it  straight 
at  Gideon's  head. 

At  the  same  instant  Ruth  uttered  a  scream  of 
terror  and  jumped  to  her  feet  and  stood,  staring 
in  a  fascination  of  horror  at  the  open  window 
directly  over  the  bed,  through  which  protruded  the 
long  barrel  of  a  rifle,  behind  which  showed  the 
horribly  painted  face  and  the  glittering  eyes  of  an 
Indian.  At  the  same  instant  other  rifles  were  thrust 
through  the  other  windows  and  back  of  each  was 
the  hideous  face  of  an  Indian,  while  through  the 
open  doorway  glided,  as  noiselessly  as  snakes,  the 
nearly  naked  and  horribly  painted  forms  of  half 
a  dozen  others. 

Gideon,  at  the  scream  of  Ruth,  had  leaped  to 
his  feet,  to  find  himself  looking  straight  down  into 
the  muzzle  of  his  own  rifle,  held  not  three  feet 
from  his  head,  and  into  eyes  that  flamed  like  the 
eyes  of  a  wolf  in  the  dark. 

"  Quiet,  quiet,"  chuckled  the  man  behind  the  gun. 
"  We  ain't  aimin'  tew  spill  no  blood,  not  right  now, 
so  jest  take  things  quiet  an'  easy.  Fooled  yew 
good  an*  plenty,  didn't  I?"  and  he  laughed  taunt- 
ingly; but  the  muzzle  of  the  rifle  never  lowered  an 
inch  and  the  flaming  eyes  never  left  Gideon's  face 


298  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

for  an  instant.  "Wai,  yew're  not  th'  fust  white 
idjits  Mike  Girty  has  fooled." 

Gideon  stood  like  one  in  a  horrible  nightmare, 
weaponless,  helpless,  speechless,  while  two  Indians 
glided  to  his  side,  pulled  his  hands  backward  and 
swiftly  tied  them  together  behind  his  back. 

Mrs.  Clay,  with  a  gasping  cry  of  horror,  caught 
the  baby  up  in  her  arms  at  the  first  sight  of  the 
Indians,  and  stood,  white  and  trembling,  her 
burning  eyes  flashing  from  the  face  of  one  Indian 
to  the  face  of  another  and  finally  resting,  with  a  look 
of  inexpressible  contempt  and  loathing,  on  the  face 
of  Mike  Girty,  the  white  renegade. 

The  moment  Gideon's  hands  were  safely  tied 
behind  his  back,  Mike  Girty  lowered  the  rifle  and 
turned  and  advanced  toward  Mrs.  Clay,  chuckling 
and  grinning  with  brutal  satisfaction  over  the 
cunning  manner  with  which  he  had  betrayed  and 
trapped  the  people  of  his  own  race  and  color. 

"Keep  back!  Don't  you  dare  come  near  me, 
you  cur,  you  contemptible  cur!  If  you  lay  one 
of  your  dirty,  poison,  blood-stained  hands  on  me, 
I'll  tear  your  eyes  out,  if  I  die  for  it  the  next 
moment ! "  and  Mrs.  Clay,  all  the  fury  of  her  out- 
raged humanity  in  her  eyes,  turned  so  threateningly 
on  the  advancing  renegade  that  he  abruptly 
stopped  and  took  a  quick  step  backward.  "  These 
Indians  are  at  least  human,"  she  continued,  "  acting 
according  to  their  race  and  light.  But  you  are  inhu- 
man, accursed,  base  betrayer  of  your  own  blood  and 
kind;  and  I'll  not  have  you  laying  one  of  your 


Mike  Girty  299 


dirty  fingers  on  me,"  and  she  contemptuously  turned 
her  back  on  the  white  man  and,  taking  Ruth  by  the 
hand,  walked  up  to  a  tall,  masterful-looking  Indian, 
evidently  a  chief,  who  stood  near  by,  and  signified 
that  they  were  his  prisoners. 

Mike  Girty's  face  had  flushed  angrily  at  the  biting 
scorn  of  Mrs.  Clay's  words,  looks  and  acts,  and  the 
moment  she  turned  her  back  toward  him  he  started 
furiously  toward  her;  but  the  tall  Indian  to  whom 
she  had  appealed  lifted  his  right  hand  and  held  it 
over  the  head  of  Mrs.  Clay. 

"My  prisoners,"  he  said  calmly,  and  sternly 
motioned  the  enraged  man  back. 

Girty  stood  glowering  at  the  Indian  for  a  moment, 
then,  whirling  angrily  about  on  his  heels,  caught 
Gideon  roughly  by  the  arm,  gave  him  a  violent 
jerk  and,  with  a  guttural  command  to  two  of  the 
Indians,  turned  the  boy  over  to  them.  At  least  no 
one  could  dispute  his  right  to  do  as  he  pleased  with 
the  boy,  his  own  prisoner! 

Gideon  was  now  taken  a  short  distance  from  the 
house,  roughly  thrown  to  the  ground  and  his  ankles 
bound  tightly  together.  A  few  minutes  later  Ruth 
and  Mrs.  Clay,  the  baby  still  held  close  to  her 
bosom,  were  brought  to  the  spot  where  Gideon  lay 
bound,  and  left  under  the  guard  of  two  ugly-looking 
Indians. 

All  the  other  Indians  now  began  plundering  the 
house  of  everything  of  value  to  them.  This  done, 
they  set  fire  to  the  house  and  the  barn  and  the  two 
wagons,  shot  the  hens  and  the  pigs  and,  gathering 


300  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  cattle  and  the  horses  together,  hurried  half  a 
dozen  Indians  off  to  the  north  with  them. 

The  feelings  of  our  pioneer  friends,  as  they  sat 
in  helpless  agony  and  watched  the  utter  destruction 
of  all  that  had  taken  them  so  many  months  of 
patient,  loving  work  and  care  to  build,  need  no 
describing.  You  can  imagine  the  rage  of  Gideon, 
all  the  greater  because  of  his  utter  helplessness; 
the  sorrow  and  anguish  of  Mrs.  Clay,  and  the 
misery  and  terror  of  Ruth,  better  than  words  could 
tell.  For  the  moment  they  even  forgot  the  horrors 
of  their  own  peril. 

Gideon,  at  the  coming  of  his  mother  and  Ruth, 
had  started  to  say  something  to  cheer  them  up,  but 
instantly  one  of  the  Indian  guards  had  indicated 
most  emphatically  and  savagely  that  he  was  to  keep 
his  mouth  shut,  consequently  they  had  been  obliged 
to  sit  through  all  the  terrible  scenes  of  destruction 
in  silence. 

The  baby,  during  these  scenes  of  horror,  had 
lain  in  her  mother's  arms  in  a  heavy  sleeplike 
stupor  that  made  her  insensible  to  all  that  was 
going  on  around  her,  and  it  was  fortunte  that  she 
had,  for  Indians  when  on  the  warpath  never  bother 
long  with  a  screaming  child.  If  the  child  is  too 
young  for  fear  to  silence,  the  tomahawk  is  used. 

As  soon  as  the  work  of  destruction  was  completed 
the  Indians  all  gathered  in  a  circle  not  far  from 
where  the  prisoners  sat  and  held  a  brief  council, 
evidently,  from  their  actions,  over  the  disposition 
of  the  captives.  First  Mike  Girty  stood  up  and 


Captured  by  the  Indians 


Mike  Girty  301 


spoke  vehemently  and  angrily,  frequently  pointing 
to  where  the  white  prisoners  sat.  Then  Leaping 
Deer,  the  Indian  to  whom  Mrs.  Clay  had  appealed 
for .  protection  from  Girty  and  who  was  evidently 
the  chief  of  the  band,  arose  and  spoke  briefly  but 
emphatically,  once  placing  his  hand  on  his  toma- 
hawk and  scowling  threateningly  at  Girty. 

The  result  of  the  council  was  that  Leaping  Deer 
detailed  five  warriors  to  take  charge  of  the  pris- 
oners, while  he  and  Girty  and  the  remaining  Indians, 
some  twenty  in  number,  hurried  off  on  another 
expedition  of  pillage  and  murder. 

The  five  Indians  thus  detailed  at  once  approached 
the  captives,  cut  the  thongs  of  deerskin  that  bound 
Gideon's  hands  and  ankles,  ordered  all  to  stand  up; 
and  then,  with  one  Indian  walking  ahead,  two  behind 
and  one  on  either  side  of  our  unfortunate  and  miser- 
able friends,  started  off  toward  the  north. 

"Just  wait  until  dad  gets  back  and  finds  out 
what  has  happened,"  Gideon  whispered  hurriedly 
to  his  mother,  as  they  fell  in  line.  "  He'll  start  on 
our  trail  at  once;  and  — " 

Here  a  brown  hand  shot  out  and  landed  heavily 
on  Gideon's  mouth.  The  hint  was  sufficient.  Gideon 
said  no  more. 

Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  and  Gideon,  as  they  reached 
the  brow  of  a  little  hill,  turned  for  a  last  look  at 
the  spot  where  they  had  passed  so  many  happy 
hours,  now,  alas,  covered  with  smoking  ruins,  and 
then  passed  on  over  the  hill  top,  whither  and  to 
what  fate  they  knew  not. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE  YOUNG   CAPTAIN   OF  VOLUNTEERS 

"D  IG  TOM  and  Silas  Wegg  had  been  completely 
-*-*  exhausted,  both  physically  and  mentally,  by 
the  tremendous  exertions  of  that  long  race  back 
to  the  log  house  and  the  harrowing  suspense  and 
the  dreadful  fears  that  the  peril  of  Mrs.  Clay  and 
the  children  had  aroused;  and  when  they  stretched 
themselves  out  on  the  ground  near  the  ruins  of 
the  log  house  after  their  vain  search  for  some 
clue  that  would  throw  light  on  the  fate  of  the 
missing  ones,  it  was  to  sleep  like  two  logs,  notwith- 
standing the  uncertainty  that  still  harrowed  their 
minds.  Tired  bodies  and  tired  brains  and  tired 
hearts  must  have  rest,  or  break;  and,  therefore, 
God  has  given  us  sleep. 

Something  cold  and  soft,  pressing  against  one 
of  his  hands  that  lay  uncovered,  awoke  Big  Tom 
the  next  morning.  With  a  shivering  chill  of  dread, 
he  instinctively  clutched  his  rifle,  even  before  he 
had  opened  his  eyes;  and,  looking  up,  saw  in  the 
dim  light  of  the  early  morning,  standing  over  him 
and  pressing  his  nose  to  his  body,  Black  Ben,  the 
horse  that  had  so  nobly  served  him  the  day  before 
and  which  he  had  left  exhausted  on  the  prairie 
ten  miles  back. 

Big  Tom,  with  a  cry  of  welcome  and  joy,  sprang 
302 


The  Young  Captain  of  Volunteers         303 

to  his  feet  and  threw  both  arms  around  the  neck  of 
the  horse.  Wife  and  children  and  house  and  stock, 
all  were  gone,  all  but  the  faithful  animal  by  his 
side;  and  the  thought  of  this  brought  tears  to  his 
eyes  and  a  choke  in  his  throat. 

"Wai,"  and  Silas  stood  by  his  side  and  laid  a 
caressing  hand  on  the  neck  of  the  horse,  "this  is 
what  I  call  brute  faithfulness,  atter  th'  way  yew 
abused  him  yisterday,  tew  foller  yew  up  an'  tew 
come  nosin'  'round  yew  this  mornin',  like  he  loved 
yew  more'n  ever.  Reckon  he  knows  yew  run  him 
so  hard  an'  licked  him  so  hard  yisterday  only  'cause 
yew  had  tew.  Now,"  and  Silas  straightened  up 
and  his  face  hardened  and  his  eyes  swept  swiftly 
over  the  prairie,  smiling  so  peacefully  under  the 
warm  rays  of  the  morning  sun,  "we  must  get 
somethin'  tew  eat  an'  git  on  th'  trail  tew  once.  Yew 
start  a  fire  an'  I'll  git  one  o'  them  deer  feedin*  over 
yonder,"  and  he  pointed  to  where  half  a  dozen 
deer  stood  quietly  browsing  near  the  edge  of  the 
forest. 

In  half  an  hour  Silas  was  back  with  one  of  the 
deer  hanging  from  his  back,  and  in  another  half 
hour  they  had  eaten  their  breakfast  and  were  ready 
to  take  up  the  trail.  At  first  the  departure  of  the 
Indians  in  three  separate  parties  delayed  and  con- 
fused them;  but  the  keen  eyes  and  reasoning  of 
Silas  soon  read  the  meaning  of  these  divisions. 

"  Reckon,"  he  said,  "  that  one  party  was  hurried 
off  tew  some  place  o'  safety  with  th'  stock  an' 
anuther  party  was  placed  in  charge  o'  th'  prisoners, 


304  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

tew  take  'em  tew  some  agreed-on  rendezvous,  so 
that  th'  remainin'  an'  larger  party  o'  warriors 
would  be  free  tew  start  out  on  anuther  expedition 
o'  pillage  an'  murder.  That  would  leave  th'  pris- 
oners with  this  small  party  goin'  north,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  trail  left  by  the  five  Indians  who  had 
been  given  charge  of  Mrs.  Clay  and  the  children. 
"Leastwise  that's  th'  way  I  reason  it  out;  an'  I'm 
for  followin'  that  trail.  Now,  how  dew  yew  figger 
it  out  ?  "  and  he  turned  inquiringly  to  Big  Tom. 

"  About  the  same  as  you  do/'  Big  Tom  answered. 
"  Come  on.  We've  already  lost  more  time  than 
we  should.  We'll  take  turns  riding  Black  Ben  and 
hurry  along  as  fast  as  we  can  follow  the  trail." 

"Yew  fust  on  th'  hoss,  then,"  and  Silas  started 
off  on  the  run,  his  head  bent  slightly  forward  and 
downward  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  almost  imper- 
ceptible trail  left  by  the  Indians  and  their  prisoners 
as  they  had  hurried  northward  over  the  prairie. 

Big  Tom  sprang  to  the  back  of  his  horse  and 
followed  close  behind  him,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout 
in  all  directions,  so  that  Silas  could  give  his 
undivided  attention  to  the  following  of  the  trail. 

For  some  two  miles  they  hurried  along  in  this 
manner,  then  Silas  suddenly  stopped  and,  with  an 
exclamation  of  satisfaction,  threw  himself  down 
on  his  hands  and  knees  and  began  carefully  exam- 
ining the  footprints  left  in  a  moist,  bare  spot  of 
ground  on  the  margin  of  a  small  pond.  In  a  few 
moments  he  stood  up  and  turned  a  joyful  face  to 
Big  Tom.  "We  shore  are  on  th'  right  trail,"  he 


The  Young  Captain  of  Volunteers         305 

cried ;  "  for  thar  are  th'  footprints  o'  Mrs.  Clay  an' 
Gideon  an'  Ruth,  'long  with  th'  hoof  marks  o'  th' 
Injuns.  I'd  know  'em  enywhar,  'cause  they  are 
wearin'  th'  moccasins  I  made  for  'em  last  winter; 
an',  I  reckon,  from  th'  way  she  walks,  Mrs.  Clay 
is  carry  in'  th'  baby." 

Big  Tom  at  once  jumped  off  the  horse  and  bent 
and  examined  the  footprints  and  almost  immedi- 
ately straightened  up. 

"Yes,"  he  agreed,  "those  are  their  tracks;  and 
now  that  we  know  that  we  are  on  the  right  trail 
let's  get  a-going  and  keep  a-going  as  fast  as  we 
can,"  and  he  leaped  back  in  the  saddle  and  hurried 
after  Silas,  who  was  already  running  along  the  trail. 

Suddenly  Silas  stopped  again  and  bent  quickly 
and  picked  up  something  from  the  ground  and, 
without  a  word,  turned  and  handed  it  to  Big  Tom 
and  sped  on  his  way. 

It  was  a  very  small  moccasin,  made  for  a  baby's 
foot  and  decorated  with  loving  care  with  beads  and 
embroidery. 

Big  Tom  seized  it  hungrily,  and,  pressing  it  to 
his  lips,  thrust  it  in  under  the  bosom  of  his  shirt. 
Well  he  remembered  the  making  of  those  little 
moccasins,  and  the  loving  hands  that  had  so  ten- 
derly beaded  and  embroidered  them  during  the 
long  nights  of  the  winter  just  past,  and  the  delight 
on  the  face  of  the  baby  when  for  the  first  time 
they  were  tried  on  her  pink  little  feet.  Alas,  alas, 
would  he  ever  see  those  dear  faces  again?  He 
ground  his  teeth  together  and  the  grip  on  his  rifle 


306  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

tightened  and  his  eyes  searched  eagerly  the  long 
stretch  of  lonely  prairie  to  the  front  of  them.  But 
not  a  sign  of  a  human  being,  other  than  themselves, 
was  anywhere  visible  on  the  wide  expanse  of  the 
prairie.  The  Indians  had  had  nearly  twenty- four 
hours  the  start  of  them  and  evidently  they  had 
made  good  use  of  their  time. 

For  an  hour  longer  they  hurried  on;  then,  with 
hardly  a  pause,  Silas  mounted  the  horse  and  Big 
Tom  followed  the  trail. 

About  ten  o'clock  they  came  to  a  secluded  little 
valley,  through  which  flowed  a  small  stream  of 
water.  In  a  grove  of  trees  near  the  banks  of  the 
stream  they  came  upon  the  unmistakable  evidences 
of  a  large  Indian  encampment  that  had  been  hastily 
abandoned  only  a  few  hours  before,  probably  that 
very  morning,  since  some  of  the  ashes  of  the  camp 
fires  were  still  warm. 

This  was  a  disheartening  sight  for  Big  Tom  and 
Silas,  for  it  told  them  that  now  they  would  have 
to  contend  with  a  whole  village  of  Indians,  instead 
of  the  few  they  had  been  following. 

"Durn  th'  luck!"  complained  Silas.  "I  was  in 
hopes  we  could  catch  up  with  th'  red  devils  afore 
they  reached  th'  main  camp.  Reckon  thar  won't 
more'n  five  or  six  Injuns  with  th'  prisoners;  an' 
we  could  have  done  for  'em;  but  now —  Wai,  no 
use  cryin'  for  butter  atter  th'  cream  is  spilt.  We 
jest  have  tew  make  th'  best  o'  it  an'  keep  on  th' 
trail.  They  kin't  be  more'n  five  or  six  hours  ahead 
o'  us  now,"  and  his  face  brightened. 


The  Young  Captain  of  Volunteers         307 

"  Yes,  we'll  keep  on  the  trail,"  Big  Tom  declared 
grimly,  "  whether  it  is  made  by  one  or  a  thousand 
warriors,  as  long  as  Martha  and  the  children  are 
with  them.  Come  on.  We  want  to  catch  up  with 
them  before  night,  sure,"  and  he  started  off  along 
the  well-marked  trail  on  the  run,  followed  by  Silas 
on  the  horse.  • 

An  hour  later,  on  reaching  the  top  of  a  small 
hill,  Big  Tom  stopped  abruptly  and,  with  an 
exclamation  of  warning  to  Silas,  crouched  down 
low  in  the  grass  and  looked  out  intently  over  the 
prairie  beyond.  In  a  moment  Silas  was  off  the 
back  of  the  horse  and  by  his  side. 

An  almost  level  stretch  lay  in  front  of  them, 
extending  for  some  four  or  five  miles  before  it  rose 
in  low-lying  hills.  Some  three  miles  to  the  right, 
a  long  line  of  woods  skirted  the  prairie,  and  riding 
out  of  these  woods  and  coming  directly  toward 
them  was  a  large  band  of  horsemen,  a  hundred  or 
more.  In  advance  rode  a  couple  of  scouts. 

"  Indians  ? "  questioned  Big  Tom  the  moment 
Silas  crouched  by  his  side. 

"Looks  like  it;  but  I  dunno  for  shore,"  Silas 
answered,  his  eyes  intent  on  the  advancing  caval- 
cade. "Th'  scouts  don't  look  jest  like  Injuns, 
though;  an',  by  jiggers,  they're  not!"  he  almost 
shouted  a  moment  later.  "One  on  'em's  got 
whiskers;  an'  who  ever  knowed  of  an  Injun  with 
whiskers!  Must  be  a  company  o'  state  volunteers. 
They  sartin  are  not  reglers.  But  we'll  make  shore 
afore  we  show  ourselves." 


3o8  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

For  five  minutes  longer  they  crouched  low  in 
the  grass,  then  both  of  them  arose,  and  taking  off 
their  caps,  waved  them  around  their  heads  and 
shouted.  They  were  sure  now  that  the  advancing 
horsemen  were  whites. 

Both  scouts  heard  them,  started,  turned  quickly 
in  their  direction,  stared  at  them  for  a  moment, 
then  whirled  their  horses  about  and  started  back 
for  the  main  body  as  fast  as  they  could  make  their 
mounts  go. 

"By  jinks!  if  they  don't  take  us  for  Injuns," 
chuckled  Silas,  "same  as  we  did  them." 

The  band  of  horsemen  halted  at  sight  of  their 
flying  scouts  and  awaited  their  coming  in  consid- 
erable confusion  and  excitement.  Then,  after  a 
few  minutes,  a  company  of  some  twenty-five  men 
rode  out  from  the  main  body  and,  followed  more 
slowly  by  the  others,  galloped  toward  the  spot  where 
Big  Tom  and  Silas  still  stood,  waving  their  caps. 
Not  until  this  company  of  horsemen  were  within 
one  hundred  yards  of  Big  Tom  and  Silas  did  they 
seem  to  feel  sure  that  the  two  men  were  whites; 
then  their  leader  pulled  off  his  cap,  swung  it 
excitedly  around  his  head  and  yelling:  "They're 
whites,  boys ! "  dug  the  spurs  into  his  horse,  and 
galloping  at  full  speed  up  the  hill,  jumped  off  the 
horse  in  front  of  Big  Tom  and  Silas  and  grabbed 
a  hand  of  each. 

"  Thought  sure  you  were  Indians,  trying  to  lead 
us  into  ambush,"  he  laughed,  as  he  shook  their 
hands  warmly,  his  keen,  deep-set  eyes,  eyes  that 


The  Young  Captain  of  Volunteers          309 

neither  Silas  nor  Big  Tom  ever  forgot,  searching 
their  faces. 

"Wai,  I  dunno  as  I  blame  yew,"  grinned  Silas. 
"We  shore  thought  yew  were  Injuns  till  we  seen 
one  o'  yew  had  whiskers.  Volunteers,  I  reckon?" 
and  he  glanced  at  the  men,  who  by  now  were 
crowding  around  them.  "  Captain  ?  "  and  his  eyes 
turned  inquiringly  to  the  tall,  lank,  big-boned  young 
fellow  that  had  gripped  his  hand. 

"Yes.  Captain  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  handsom- 
est man  in  the  army,  at  your  service,"  answered  the 
big-boned  young  fellow,  drawing  his  tall,  gaunt 
form  up  to  its  full  height  and  making  an  awkward 
bow,  while  his  eyes  twinkled  merrily. 

Silas  looked  into  the  angular,  homely  face  before 
him  and  grinned;  and  the  longer  he  looked  the 
broader  became  his  grin. 

"  What  you  grinning  about  ?  "  drawled  Lincoln, 
the  twinkle  in  his  eyes  deepening. 

"  Wai,"  answered  Silas,  "  I  was  tryin'  tew  figger 
out  what  th'  homeliest  man  in  th'  army  must  look 
like  if  yew're  th'  handsomest,  an'  I  came  mighty 
nigh  bustin'  my  imagination."  • 

The  men  around  them  broke  into  loud  guffaws; 
but  Lincoln,  dolefully  drawing  down  the  corners  of 
his  mobile  lips,  laid  his  hand  on  Silas's  shoulder. 

"  My  friend,"  he  said  solemnly,  "  you  have 
touched  upon  a  melancholy  topic.  The  homeliest 
man  in  the  army  died  last  night  from  fright.  He 
wanted  to  shave  and  I  loaned  him  my  looking- 
glass.  But,"  and  the  waggish  look  on  Lincoln's 


310  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

face  instantly  changed  to  one  of  solicitude  and  his 
eyes  turned  to  the  face  of  Big  Tom,  "  I  see  that  you 
are  in  trouble.  Anything  we  can  do  for  you  ?  " 

"Yes,"  answered  Big  Tom.  "The  Indians  have 
burnt  down  my  home  and  have  run  off  with  my  wife 
and  three  children.  I  want  you  to  help  me  get 
them  back.  We  are  on  their  trail  now." 

The  faces  of  all  sobered  instantly  and  they 
crowded  close  around  Big  Tom  and  Silas,  while 
Lincoln  laid  one  of  his  hands  on  Big  Tom's 
shoulder. 

"We  will  do  all  that  we  can  to  help  you,"  he 
said.  "Tell  me  the  needed  facts  as  briefly  as 
possible,  so  that  we  will  lose  no  time." 

By  now  the  main  body  of  the  volunteers  had 
arrived  at  the  spot  and  all  crowded  as  closely  as 
possible  around  Silas  and  Big  Tom,  anxious  to  hear 
their  story. 

They  were  a  motley  crowd  of  men,  this  company 
of  Western  volunteers  recruited  from  the  rough 
frontier  settlements  of  the  state,  and  had  little  of 
the  looks  or  the  discipline  of  a  military  organiza- 
tion. Each  of  the  men  had  procured  for  his  outfit 
what  he  could  get,  with  the  consequence  that  no 
two  were  equipped  alike.  They  had  no  uniforms, 
but  each  wore  his  usual  clothes,  buckskin  breeches, 
coonskin  cap,  or  whatever  chanced  to  be  his  ordi- 
nary dress.  They  carried  their  beds,  coarse 
blankets,  behind  their  saddles  on  their  horses' 
backs.  Nearly  all  of  them  were  armed  with  flint- 
lock rifles;  and  over  the  shoulder  of  each  were 


The  Young  Captain  of  Volunteers          311 

slung  his  powder  horn  and  bullet  pouch.  They 
cared  little  for  appearance  and  scorned  all  military 
discipline.  Each  considered  himself  a  free  inde- 
pendent American  citizen;  not  a  cog  in  a  military 
machine,  to  be  run  according  to  orders.  If  a 
command  seemed  reasonable  to  them  they  obeyed 
it;  if  it  did  not  so  seem,  they  were  more  apt  to 
jeer  than  to  obey.  They  had  come  out  with  the 
one  purpose  of  driving  the  Indians  back  across  the 
Mississippi,  and  they  had  little  respect  for  any 
order  that  did  not  seem  to  them  to  bear  directly 
on  this  mission. 

Their  young  captain  was  as  picturesquely  rough 
in  his  dress  and  appearance  as  were  the  men,  but 
there  was  a  masterful  something  about  him  that  the 
others  lacked.  There  had  to  be  for  him  to  be  the 
leader  of  such  untamed  manhood.  He  was  unusu- 
ally tall,  six  feet  and  four  inches  in  his  moccasins 
—  "when  my  backbone  is  straight,"  so  he  said  — 
big-boned,  lean,  and  muscular,  with  somewhat  thin 
and  narrow  shoulders  for  so  great  a  height.  His 
face  was  strong  and  angular,  with  deep-set  eyes, 
rather  high  cheek  bones,  large  nose  and  mouth  and 
a  high  forehead  —  an  exceedingly  homely  face,  and 
yet  a  very  likable  face,  one  that  attracted  at  first 
sight  and  whose  homeliness  was  soon  forgotten. 

Such  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  or  Abe  Lincoln,  as 
he  was  called  by  his  men,  at  the  time  he  galloped 
up  to  our  friends  so  unexpectedly  and  opportunely, 
out  there  on  that  lonely  Illinois  prairie,  on  that  May 
morning  of  the  year  1832. 


312  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Who  then  would  have  thought  that  history  would 
soon  be  called  upon  to  write  down  this  great, 
uncouth,  awkward  young  captain  of  a  little  company 
of  rough  Illinois  volunteers  —  he  was  but  twenty- 
three  years  old  —  as  one  of  the  few  really  great 
men  of  the  earth?  There  is  inspiration  for  every 
boy,  however  simple  his  birth  and  early  surround- 
ings, in  the  life  of  this  wonderful  man.  But  to  get 
back  to  our  story. 

In  as  few  words  as  possible  Big  Tom  told  of 
what  had  happened  to  his  home  and  his  wife  and 
children  and  how  he  and  Silas  had  followed  the 
trail  of  their  captors  thus  far. 

"  Come,"  Lincoln  said,  the  moment  Big  Tom  had 
finished  his  story.  "We  will  go  at  once  to  the 
commanding  officer.  I  am  sure  that  he  will  give 
you  all  the  help  he  can/'  and  he  at  once  led  the  way 
to  where  that  officer  sat  on  the  back  of  a  big  black 
horse. 

The  officer,  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  story  of  Big 
Tom's  misfortunes,  turned  quickly  to  him. 

"You  say  that  you  were  on  the  trail  of  these 
Indians?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,"  answered  Big  Tom;  "and  they  can't  be 
only  a  few  hours  ahead  of  us,  for  the  ashes  of  their 
camp  fires  were  still  warm  when  we  got  to  them 
this  morning.  Si  and  I  can  do  little  against  so  many 
Indians.  We  need  your  help  to  save  my  wife  and 
children.  Will  you  give  it?" 

"  You  are  durned  right  we  will,"  and  the  officer's 
eyes  glinted.  "That's  what  we  are  here  for,  to 


The  Young  Captain  of  Volunteers         313 

get  after  the  Indians;  and  if  you  can  show  us  the 
Indians,  then  you  are  just  the  men  we  want.  So 
far  we've  been  chasing  all  over  the  country  without 
getting  a  sight  of  an  Indian.  Now,  point  out  their 
trail  and  we'll  get  after  them  as  fast  as  our  horses 
can  take  us.  Captain  Lincoln,  see  that  the  scouts 
are  properly  thrown  out  in  advance  and  go  with 
Clay  and  Wegg.  I'll  give  the  necessary  orders  to 
the  men  at  once." 

A  half  hour  later  the  little  army  was  in  rapid 
motion,  with  Silas  Wegg,  now  mounted  on  a  horse 
loaned  him  by  the  volunteers,  and  Big  Tom  Clay 
galloping  in  the  van  along  the  trail  of  the  Indians; 
and  between  them  rode  Captain  Lincoln,  his  homely 
face  full  of  sympathy,  solicitude,  and  anxiety. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

ON  THE  TRAIL  OF  THE  HAWK 

'  I^HE  trail  left  by  a  moving  Indian  village,  as 
-*-  the  camp  of  a  large  number  of  Indians,  when 
including  men,  women,  and  children,  is  called,  is 
so  plainly  marked  that  even  a  novice  would  have 
no  difficulty  in  following  it ;  and  Big  Tom  and  Silas, 
with  Captain  Lincoln  riding  by  their  side  and  the 
volunteers  following  close  behind,  were  able  to 
ride  at  nearly  full  speed  along  the  trail  of  the 
savages.  A  double  line  of  scouts  had  been  thrown 
out  a  half-mile  or  more  in  advance  and  along  both 
sides  of  the  main  body,  so  that  they  had  no  fear  of 
sudden  surprise  or  ambush,  and  could  give  all  their 
attention  to  following  the  trail  as  speedily  as  their 
horses'  legs  could  take  them. 

"Tears  tew  me  like  th'  Injuns  are  a-makin' 
straight  for  Lake  Koshkonong,"  Silas  said,  after 
they  had  been  following  the  trail  for  an  hour  or 
more.  "Reckon  they're  calkerlatin'  on  findin'  a 
good  hidin'  place  in  one  o'  th'  swamps  thar'bouts  an* 
leavin'  their  wimen  an'  yunks  an'  prisoners  thar, 
while  th'  bucks  take  th'  warpath.  I  was  never  tew 
Lake  Koshkonong  but  once ;  an'  then,  I'll  be  durned ! 
if  I  didn't  git  lost  in  one  of  th'  big  swamps  an' 
come  mighty  nigh  starvin'  tew  death  afore  I  got 
out,  atter  wadin'  all  day  through  water  'most  up 
tew  my  armpits.  If  they  git  tew  Lake  Koshkonong 

314 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  315 

afore  we  cotch  'em,  'twill  be  worser  than  lookin'  fer 
a  needle  in  a  hay  stack  tew  find  'em,  so  we'd  better 
keep  a-goin'  'bout  as  fast  as  horseflesh  will  take  us." 

At  noon  the  little  army  halted  for  an  hour  in 
the  shade  of  a  little  grove  of  trees  that  grew  along 
the  bank  of  a  small  stream  of  water  to  rest  and  eat. 

Captain  Lincoln  invited  Big  Tom  and  Silas  to 
share  his  "snack"  with  him;  and  as  the  three  sat 
round  a  little  camp  fire,  over  which  a  pot  of  coffee 
was  boiling,  eating  their  rough  food,  two  of  the 
scouts,  who  had  been  left  on  guard,  came  in  with 
a  wounded  white  man  that  they  had  found  hurrying 
southward  as  fast  as  his  partially  disabled  condition 
allowed  him  to  go,  to  warn  a  lonely  settler,  so  he 
said,  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Indians.  The  scouts 
brought  the  man  direct  to  Captain  Lincoln. 

The  moment  the  eyes  of  Big  Tom  and  Silas  fell 
on  the  man  both  jumped  to  their  feet  with 
exclamations  of  surprise. 

"I'll  be  durned  if  'tain't  Ben  Block!"  and  Silas 
hurried  to  the  man  and  grabbed  his  hand. 

"  It  surely  is ! "  and  Big  Tom  caught  hold  of  the 
other  hand. 

"  Say,  but  I'm  shore  glad  tew  see  yew."  The 
eyes  of  Ben  Block  turned  eagerly  and  a  bit  anx- 
iously to  Big  Tom.  "  I  was  on  my  way  tew  warn 
yew  o'  th'  Injun  outbreak.  I'd  have  got  tew  yew 
afore  if  an  Injun  bullet  hadn't  laid  me  up  fer  a  few 
days.  Hope  I'm  not  tew  late?"  and  he  glanced 
apprehensively  from  the  face  of  Big  Tom  to  the 
face  of  Silas. 


316  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"Yes,  you  are  too  late,"  Big  Tom  answered. 
"  The  Indians  have  burnt  my  home  and  run  off  with 
my  wife  and  children.  We  are  on  the  trail  of  their 
captors  now." 

"I'm  powerful  sorry,"  and  Ben  Block's  face 
showed  the  anguish  he  felt  at  this  dreadful  news. 
"But  I'd  got  tew  yew  afore  th'  Injuns  did,  like  I 
promised,  if  one  o'  their  bullets  hadn't  hit  me." 

"  I  know  you  would,"  Big  Tom  answered.  "  I'm 
not  blaming  any  one  but  myself.  I  ought  to  have 
hurried  the  wife  and  children  away  to  a  place  of 
safety  the  moment  I  heard  that  Black  Hawk  and 
his  warriors  had  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  not 
taken  any  chances.  But  I  wanted  to  save  the  house 
and  the  stock  and  the  crops  —  and  now  I've  lost 
all,  wife  and  children  and  home  and  stock  and 
all ! "  and  the  unfortunate  man  sank  down  on  the 
ground  and  bowed  his  head  in  his  hands. 

"Sit  down,  won't  you,  and  share  grub  with  us? " 
Lincoln  said,  turning  his  eyes,  now  moist  with 
sympathy,  from  the  bowed  head  of  Big  Tom  to 
the  contrite  face  of  Ben  Block.  "  And  after  you've 
eaten  and  rested  a  bit  we  will  be  glad  to  hear  where 
and  how  you  got  your  wound." 

Ben  Block,  who  was  both  tired  and  hungry, 
gladly  accepted  Captain  Lincoln's  hospitable  invi- 
tation and  soon  had  done  ample  justice  to  the  eating 
part  of  it. 

"Now,"  Lincoln  said,  as  he  stretched  out  his 
long  legs  at  ease  on  the  ground,  after  the  "  grub " 
had  been  dispatched,  "we're  ready  to  hear  your 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  317 

story;  but  be  as  brief  as  possible,  for  we  must  be 
on  the  trail  again  soon." 

"Wai,"  Ben  Block  began  slowly,  "atter  leavin' 
th'  home  o'  Big  Tom  an'  promisin'  tew  hurry  back 
an'  tell  him  if  th'  Injuns  should  start  on  th'  warpath. 
I  joined  a  body  o'  three  hundred  an'  forty  rangers 
under  Major  Stillman,  'cause  they  was  actin'  as 
sort  o'  scouts  an'  goin'  on  ahead  o'  th'  main  army 
that  had  now  started  out  in  pursuit  o'  Black  Hawk ; 
an'  I  calkerlated  they'd  be  th'  ones  tew  discover 
any  trouble,  if  thar  was  eny  tew  discover  —  an'  I 
shore  was  right! 

"Wai,  so  far  th'  Hawk  had  done  nuthin'  real 
hosteel,  'ceptin'  tew  cross  th'  Mississippi  ag'in 
orders  an'  ag'in  treaty,  tew  go,  so  he  said,  tew  th' 
Winnerbegger  village  tew  th'  north  tew  raise  a 
crap  o'  corn  tew  keep  his  people  from  starvin', 
'cause  th'  government  had  failed  tew  live  up  tew 
their  part  o'  th'  treaty  an'  supply  'em  with  food; 
an'  th'  most  on  us  thought  it  would  only  take  a 
show  o'  force,  backed  by  a  leetel  reasonin'  an'  food 
supplies,  tew  cause  th'  Hawk  tew  see  th'  error  o' 
his  ways  an'  tew  git  back  'cross  th'  Mississippi, 
long  with  his  warriors  an'  wimen  an'  yunks,  same 
as  he  had  th'  year  afore.  Consequently  we  was 
a-marchin'  ag'in  him  with  as  big  a  show  o'  force 
as  possible. 

"  An'  I  reckon  that's  jest  'bout  th'  way  it  would 
have  turned  out  if  a  lot  o'  cussed  whiskey  had  not 
got  intew  camp  an'  turned  decent  men  intew 
cowards  an'  brutes!  Beats  all  creation  how  good 


318  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

men  will  let  liquor  make  sech  fool-brutes  out  o'  'em ! 
It  otter  be  outlawed,  like  pisen,  an'  sold  fer  pisen, 
an'  th'  men  that  sells  it  tew  their  feller  humans 
otter  be  treated  like  pisen  sellers!  But  now,  jest 
'cause  o'  th'  acts  o'  a  few  drunken  brutes,  this  hull 
country  has  got  tew  suffer  all  th'  dreadful  horrors 
o'  an  Injun  war  an'  homes  be  burnt  tew  th'  ground 
an'  men  an'  wimen  an'  inercent  children  mur- 
dered ! "  and  the  face  of  the  old  hunter  showed  the 
angry  disgust  that  he  felt.  "  'Cuse  me,  but  when  I 
think  on  it,  it  shore  gits  me  riled,"  and  he  glanced 
a  bit  apologetically  around  the  little  company  that 
had  gathered  about  him  to  hear  his  story. 

"  Yes,  yes,  you  are  right,  you  certainly  are  right. 
Liquor  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  most  of  human 
troubles;  and  it  would  be  a  blessing  to  the  human 
race  if  it  all,  lock,  stock,  and  barrel,  were  dumped 
into  the  ocean ;  but  durned  hard  on  the  fish !  Now," 
and  the  eyes  of  Lincoln  turned  anxiously  to  the  face 
of  Ben  Block,  "what  particular  kind  of  devil  did 
it  raise  in  this  case  ?  " 

"Injun!"  Ben  Block  answered  tersely.  "'Bout 
five  hundred  on  'em;  an'  if  th'  Lord  ever  made 
enything  worser'n  an  Injun,  when  th'  devils  o'  lust 
an'  murder  an'  pillage  gits  intew  him,  I've  never 
heered  on  it.  But  tew  git  back  tew  my  story.  As 
I  was  a-sayin',  I  went  'long  with  Major  Stillman's 
men,  so  as  tew  be  whar  th'  trouble'd  be  most  apt 
tew  start,  an'  it  started  thar  all  right! 

"  One  day  we  heered  that  a  body  o'  Injuns,  under 
Black  Hawk  himself,  was  camped  not  more'n  twelve 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  319 

or  fifteen  miles  from  us;  an'  Major  Stillman  asked 
if  he  might  not  take  his  men  an'  go  on  ahead  tew 
look  fer  th'  Injuns.  He  was  given  permission,  an' 
so  we  started  off  in  great  sperits. 

"  Black  Hawk,  if  he  ever  meant  war,  by  now 
must  a-been  a-gittin'  some  discouraged,  not  gittin' 
th'  help  he  expected  from  th'  British  an'  th' 
Potterwattomies  an'  th'  Winnerbeggers  an'  hearin' 
o'  th'  size  o'  th'  army  that  was  a-marchin'  atter  him, 
an'  was  wantin'  tew  make  peace  with  th'  whites. 
Leastwise,  that  night,  while  we  was  in  camp,  three 
Injuns,  carryin'  a  white  flag,  came  intew  sight  an' 
made  signs  that  they  wanted  tew  hold  a  parley. 
But  th'  men,  who,  somehow,  had  got  hold  o'  a  lot 
o'  whiskey  an'  were  half -drunk,  when  they  saw  th' 
Injuns,  rushed  out  in  a  wild  mob,  pay  in'  no  'tention 
tew  th'  white  flag  they  was  a-carryin',  an'  drove 
'em  intew  camp,  threatenin'  an'  cussin'  'em  some- 
thin'  terrible.  'Bout  this  time  th'  whites  caught 
sight  o'  five  uther  Injuns,  that  th'  cunnin  old  chief, 
not  havin'  much  confidence  in  th'  honor  o'  th' 
whites,  had  sent  out  tew  see  what  happened  tew 
his  truce-bearers;  an'  th'  mob,  mad  with  whiskey, 
started  atter  'em  an'  killed  tew  on  'em  afore  they 
could  git  away ;  an'  then  th'  hull  on'  'em  started  out 
in  search  o'  more  Injuns. 

"Wai,  they  found  'em,  they  sartin  did  find  'em, 
fer  they  hadn't  gone  far  when  th'  Hawk  with  his 
warriors  ahind  him,  tew  mad  on  'count  o'  th'  killin' 
o'  his  men  under  a  flag  o'  truce  tew  think  o'  th' 
difference  in  numbers,  he  havin'  but  forty  braves 


320  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

an'  we  havin'  three  hundred  an'  forty  armed  men, 
suddenly  came  a-rushin'  an'  a-yellin'  like  fiends  out 
o'  a  leetle  woods  tew  th'  front  o'  us  an'  charged 
straight  fer  us;  an',  I'll  be  durned!  if  them  whiskey- 
soaked  cowards  didn't  turn  tail  an'  run  like  scart 
sheep  —  three  hundred  an'  forty  on  'em — from 
forty  Injuns!  An'  they  didn't  stop  runnin',  leavin' 
camp  an'  guns  an'  every  thin'  ahind  'em,  till  they  got 
tew  Dixon,  twelve  miles  away,  all  but  eleven  on  'em 
that  th'  Injuns  killed  or  that  got  drowned  or  lost 
in  th'  swamps.  Th'  fust  on  'em  tew  git  tew  Dixon 
reported  that  th'  Hawk,  at  th'  head  o'  two  thousand 
warriors,  had  suddenly  swept  down  on  th'  camp 
o'  Stillman  an'  killed  everybudy  but  themselves. 
Howsomever,  I  know  that  th'  Hawk  had  only  forty 
braves  with  him,  'cause  I  counted  'em  as  they  came 
chargin'  out  o'  th'  woods,  an'  tried  tew  rally  enough 
o'  men  tew  drive  'em  back ;  but  they  was  drunk  with 
whiskey  an'  fear  an'  jest  drapt  everythin'  an'  run 
fer  their  lives.  If  that's  th'  kind  o'  fightin'  courage 
whiskey  gives  a  feller,  then  I'm  powerful  glad  I 
never  drank  a  drap  o'  it!"  and  again  his  face 
showed  his  disgust  and  wrath. 

"A  shameful  deed!  A  disgraceful  rout!" 
Lincoln  declared,  his  young  face  flushing  with 
indignation.  "But  you  have  not  told  us  yet  how 
you  got  your  wound." 

"  I  was  jest  a  leetle  tew  slow  in  follerin'  th' 
runnin'  cowards,"  Ben  Block  answered;  "an'  an 
Injun  spotted  me  an'  put  a  bullet  intew  one  o'  my 
shoulders  afore  I  could  git  him;  an'  when  I  got 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  321 

tew  Dixon  I  was  so  nearly  done  fer  that  I  couldn't 
crawl  off  my  blanket  fer  tew  days.  That's  why  I 
couldn't  git  tew  yew  afore,"  and  he  turned  to  Big 
Tom;  "  fer  o'  course  I  knowed  that  this  disgraceful 
affair  would  drive  all  thoughts  o'  peace  out  o'  th' 
Hawk's  head  an'  send  his  warriors  ragin'  all  over 
th'  frontier;  an'  I  wanted  tew  git  tew  yew  afore 
th'  Injuns  did.  Sorry  I  was  tew  late,  powerful 
sorry,"  and  he  laid  a  hand  on  Big  Tom's  shoulder. 
"  I  shore  did  th'  best  I  could." 

"  I  know  you  did,  Ben,"  and  Big  Tom  arose  and 
straightened  up  his  big  body.  "  Hadn't  we  better 
get  a-going?"  He  turned  anxiously  and  a  bit 
impatiently  to  Captain  Lincoln. 

"Yes,"  answered  Lincoln,  springing  to  his  feet. 

Five  minutes  later  the  little  army  was  again  hur- 
rying along  on  the  trail  of  the  Indians. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  one  of  the 
scouts  came  galloping  back  in  great  excitement  and 
reported  the  sounds  of  distant  firing  and  a  column 
of  black  smoke  rising  above  the  hills  some  five  miles 
ahead. 

"That  means  more  Injun  devilment!"  Silas 
exclaimed.  "Let's  git  a  hustle  on  us  an'  maybe 
we  kin  be  in  time  tew  take  a  hand  in  it,"  and  he 
turned  anxiously  to  Captain  Lincoln. 

Before  Lincoln  could  answer,  an  orderly  galloped 
up  with  instructions  for  him  to  take  twenty-five 
men  and  hurry  on  ahead  and  find  out  what  the 
firing  and  the  smoke  meant. 

In  five  minutes  the  twenty-five  men,  including  Big 


322  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Tom  and  Silas  Wegg,  were  ready  and  were  off  as 
as  fast  as  their  horses  could  carry  them  in  the  direc- 
tion whence  the  firing  had  been  heard  and  the 
smoke  seen;  but  they  were  too  late.  They  found 
the  Indians  fled,  leaving  behind  them  the  burning 
home  and  the  mutilated  corpses  of  a  settler  and  his 
wife  and  three  children,  two  young  girls  and  a 
baby  boy. 

"  What  bloody  fiends  these  savages  are ! "  Captain 
Lincoln  said,  as  he  sat  on  his  horse  looking  down 
on  the  ghastly  scene.  "They  could  not  even  kill 
the  baby  mercifully.  Boys,  when  we  get  the  chance, 
we  will  pay  them  back  for  this,  especially  for  the 
baby." 

"We  will,"  answered  the  men. 

For  a  couple  of  minutes  all  sat  silent  on  their 
horses,  their  heads  uncovered  and  their  eyes  fixed 
on  those  terrible  relics  of  Indian  savagery,  the  lips 
of  some  moving  as  if  in  prayer.  Then  Captain 
Lincoln  jumped  off  his  horse. 

"  Boys,"  he  said,  "  we  must  pay  them  the  last 
honors  of  the  living  to  the  dead,  and  give  them 
decent  burial." 

By  the  time  the  main  army  came  up  the  graves 
were  dug  and  the  bodies  ready  for  interment.  One 
of  the  officers  read  the  services  for  the  dead,  while 
all  stood  with  uncovered  heads,  and  the  bodies  were 
lowered  into  the  graves  and  the  graves  filled  up. 

Unknown,  unmarked,  the  pioneer  family  lay  in 
the  soil  they  had  given  their  lives  to  rescue  from 
the  savagery  of  the  wilderness! 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  323 

The  sight,  especially  of  the  mutilated  baby,  had 
made  the  soldiers  furious  and  all  were  anxious  to 
get  on  the  trail  of  the  red  murderers  as  speedily 
as  possible.  But  immediately  after  the  completion 
of  this  outrage,  the  cunning  Indians,  apparently 
learning  of  the  large  force  that  was  on  their  trail, 
had  divided  into  small  parties  and  fled  in  every 
direction,  doubtless  to  reunite  at  some  agreed-on 
place,  leaving  behind  them  so  many  trails  that  it 
would  be  useless  to  try  to  follow  any  of  them.  The 
officers  were  now  in  a  quandary  and  gathered  for 
consultation,  while  Big  Tom  and  Silas  and  Ben 
Block  circled  around  in  all  directions  in  an  effort  to 
discover,  among  the  confusion  of  trails,  the  one 
taken  by  Mrs.  Clay,  the  children  and  their  captors. 
But  all  their  efforts  were  vain.  There  was  some- 
thing like  half  a  hundred  different  trails,  each  going 
in  a  different  direction ;  and  it  was  impossible  to  tell 
which  one  of  these  had  been  made  by  the  prisoners 
and  their  captors. 

"No  use  lookin'  eny  longer,"  Silas  at  length 
declared.  "ThJ  cunnin'  devils  have  seen  tew  it 
that  th'  prisoners  left  no  signs  ahind  'em  tew  tell 
which  trail  they  took.  I  reckon  th'  best  thing  we 
kin  dew  is  tew  jest  keep  'long  with  th'  volunteers. 
We  kin't  dew  nuthin'  by  ourselves,  an'  they're 
bound  tew  hit  th'  Injuns  afore  long." 

"  I  guess  you  are  right,  Si,"  Big  Tom  answered. 
"  But  this  suspense,  not  knowing  what  has  hap- 
pened or  is  happening  to  my  wife  and  children,  but 
always  dreading  the  worst,  is  terrible." 


324  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

"I  know,  Tom,"  and  Silas  laid  a  hand  on  the 
big  shoulder.  "  But  it  is  a  lot  to  know  that  they 
are  prisoners  an'  alive  an'  not  like  — "  and  he 
shuddered  and  pointed  to  the  newly  made  graves. 
"Come,"  and  he  turned  abruptly  away,  "let's  find 
Captain  Lincoln  and  find  out  what  the  officers  are 
goin'  tew  dew  now." 

They  found  Lincoln  back  from  the  officers' 
meeting,  where  it  had  been  decided  to  head  the  little 
army  straight  for  Rock  River.  Colonel  Zachary 
Taylor  (afterward  president  of  the  United  States), 
in  command  of  a  regiment  of  regulars  and  volun- 
teers, was  reported  to  be  marching  up  Rock  River, 
and  they  expected  to  fall  in  with  him  and  unite  the 
two  commands.  Accordingly  the  little  army 
started  at  once  for  Rock  River,  where  they  arrived 
shortly  before  sundown  and  immediately  went  into 
camp. 

Captain  Lincoln  again  invited  Big  Tom  and  Silas 
and  Ben  Block  to  join  his  mess,  and  they  had  just 
sat  down  around  the  little  camp  fire  to  begin  eating 
when  a  sudden  commotion  among  the  men  caused 
all  to  jump  to  their  feet. 

"Great  Moses!  Look  thar!"  and  Silas  pointed 
excitedly  to  where  the  figure  of  a  man  was  seen 
slowly  approaching  the  camp.  "It's  an  Injun  an* 
alone !  God  have  mercy  on  his  soul  when  th'  men 
git  hold  o'  him!  They're  bilin'  atter  what  they've 
seen  tewday  an'  won't  listen  tew  sense  nor  reason. 
Thar  they  go ! " 

As  he  spoke  the  exicted  and  maddened  men  made 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  325 

a  rush,  like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolves,  for  the  Indian. 

"  See,  he  is  old,  almost  helpless  with  age !  They 
must  not  harm  him ! "  and  Lincoln's  face  hardened 
and  his  tall  form  stiffened  and  he  started  on  the 
run  for  the  men  who  had  already  begun  seething 
angrily  around  the  old  Indian  and  were  yelling: 
"Kill  him!  He's  a  spy!  Kill  him!" 

"  God  A'mighty ! "  and  Silas  leaped  forward  and 
caught  hold  of  Lincoln's  arm.  "Yew  ain't  a-goin* 
tew  interfere  an'  try  tew  save  th'  Injun,  be  yew? 
If  yew  dew,  they'll  shorely  tear  yew  tew  pieces, 
'long  with  th'  Injun." 

"I  am,"  and  the  flash  in  the  eyes  of  Lincoln 
turned  on  Silas  startled  him,  even  in  that  moment 
of  excitement.  "  They  are  my  men.  The  Indian  is 
old  and  helpless  and  has  thrown  himself  upon  our 
mercy.  They  shall  not  harm  him,  shall  not  repeat 
the  disgrace  of  Stillman's  cowardly  men."  He 
broke  away  from  the  detaining  hand  of  Silas  and, 
in  a  moment  more,  he  was  vigorously  elbowing  his 
way  through  the  press  of  men  raging  round  the  old 
Indian,  who  was  shaking  with  fright  and  calling 
out:  "Me  good  Indian.  Me  friend  of  whites." 

"Men!"  and  Lincoln  sprang  in  front  of  the  old 
Indian,  and  with  an  angry  sweep  of  his  long  arms 
knocked  up  the  leveled  guns.  This  must  not  be 
done.  He  must  not  be  shot  and  killed  by  us." 

The  Indian,  seeing  that  a  friend  had  arrived  in 
his  dire  need,  now  thrust  a  hand  under  the  folds  of 
his  blanket  and  pulled  out  a  piece  of  paper  and 
handed  it  to  Lincoln. 


326  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

The  mob  fell  back  for  a  few  steps,  quelled,  for 
the  moment,  by  the  fire  in  their  young  captain's 
eyes;  then  they  again  pressed  forward. 

"Stand  aside,  Lincoln!"  they  shouted.  "He  is 
a  spy,  and  we  are  going  to  kill  him.  Remember  the 
baby!  Stand  aside,  Lincoln!"  and  again  the  guns 
were  leveled  at  the  Indian. 

"Men,  listen!"  and  once  more  the  long  arms 
swept  the  guns  aside  and  one  hand  held  up  the  paper 
given  him  by  the  Indian.  "  This  is  a  safe  conduct 
for  this  old  Indian,  signed  by  General  Cass  himself, 
who  declares  him  to  be  a  good  Indian  who  has  done 
good  service  for  the  government.  Let  him  be.  I 
will  take  him  at  once  to  the  commanding  officer," 
and  he  laid  a  hand  on  the  Indian's  shoulder. 

An  angry  roar  answered  him  and  the  circle 
around  Lincoln  and  the  old  Indian  narrowed 
ominously. 

"The  paper  lies!"  yelled  one. 

"Shoot  him!" 

"Hang  him!" 

"Burn  him  alive!" 

"  Remember  the  baby ! " 

"  Stand  aside,  Lincoln,  and  let  us  get  at  him ! " 

But  Lincoln  did  not  stand  aside.  He  stood 
immovable,  his  tall  form  erect,  his  great  fists 
clenched  and  his  eyes  flashing,  in  front  of  the  old 
Indian,  who  was  chanting  his  death  song. 

"The  man  that  shoots  this  helpless  old  Indian 
must  first  shoot  me,"  he  cried,  his  voice  rising 
above  the  curses  and  yells  of  the  mob.  "  He  is  old 


"  Who'll  be  the  first  to  test  Abe  Lincoln's  courage  ?  " 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  327 

and  helpless.  He  has  surrendered  himself  to  our 
mercy.  He  shall  not  be  killed." 

"  This  is  cowardly  on  your  part,  Lincoln,"  yelled 
one  of  the  men  angrily.  "He  is  a  spy.  He  ought 
to  be  killed,  and  we  are  going  to  kill  him." 

"If  anyone  thinks  I  am  a  coward,  let  him  test 
it,"  and  Lincoln  raised  his  fists  threateningly.  "  But 
you  are  not  going  to  kill  this  old  Indian  until  you 
have  killed  me." 

"You  are  larger  and  heavier  than  we  are,"  pro- 
tested another.  "And  it's  only  an  old  Indian 
anyway.  Stand  aside,  Lincoln,  and  let  us  get  at 
him." 

"You  can  guard  against  my  size  and  weight. 
Choose  your  own  weapons.  I'll  fight  you  all,  one 
at  a  time  or  all  together,  before  I'll  let  you  harm 
a  hair  of  the  head  of  this  old  Indian,  who  has  come 
to  us  trusting  to  the  white  man's  mercy.  Now, 
who'll  be  the  first  to  test  Abe  Lincoln's  courage  ?  " 
and  his  eyes  swept  the  crowding  circle  of  angry 
men,  bent  on  the  murder  of  the  Indian. 

By  this  time  Big  Tom  Clay  and  Silas  and  Ben 
Block  had  managed  to  jam  their  way  through  the 
closely  packed  crowd  pressing  around  Lincoln  and 
the  old  Indian,  and  they  now  took  their  stand  by 
his  side,  their  rifles  held  threateningly  and  their 
eyes  defying  the  mob. 

But  the  young  volunteer  captain  had  no  need 
of  their  help,  for  already  his  dauntless  courage  and 
firmness  had  quelled  the  cowardly  spirit  of  the  mob, 
and  one  by  one,  as  if  ashamed  of  the  part  they  had 


328  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

taken,  they  were  beginning  to  slink  away,  leaving 
Lincoln  to  do  as  he  pleased  with  the  old  Indian.* 

"  Gosh,  but  I  thought  one  time  yew  shore  was  a 
goner ! "  Silas  gripped  the  hand  of  Lincoln.  "  We'd 
a  got  tew  yew  sooner,  but  that  gang  was  worser 
than  a  herd  of  millin'  buffalers  tew  git  through. 
Howsomever,  yew  didn't  need  none  o'  our  help," 
and  his  eyes  rested  in  honest  admiration  on  the 
flushed  face  of  the  young  captain.  "  Yew've  got 
th'  real  grit."  Silas  gave  the  hand  that  he  held  a 
vigorous  shaking. 

"I  was  too  mad  to  think  of  getting  scart," 
laughed  Lincoln,  and  thanked  the  three  men  for 
coming  to  his  assistance.  "Now,"  he  touched  the 
old  Indian  and  bade  him  follow  him,  "  I  must  take 
my  prisoner  to  the  commanding  officer,"  and  he 
strode  off  with  the  Indian,  who  proved  to  be  a  good 
Indian  who  had  never  harmed  the  whites,  trotting 
along  trustingly  behind  him. 

"That  young  man'll  make  his  mark  an'  make  it 
pretty  high  up  some  day,"  Silas  said,  as  Lincoln 
hurried  off  with  his  man.  "He's  got  thj  right 
pluck  in  him." 

"  He  certain  has,"  Big  Tom  answered.  "  I  never 
saw  a  man  look  more  desperately  in  earnest  than 
he  did  when  he  stood  facing  that  wild  mob,  and 
I  reckon  thatfc  what  cowed  them.  They  knew  that 
he'd  die,  just  as  he  said  he  would,  before  he  would 
allow  them  to  harm  the  old  Indian.  I  don't  believe 
any  other  officer  in  the  army  could  have  saved  him." 

*A  true  incident  that  occurred  practically  as  described  here. 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  329 

"  Nor  I,  but  now  that  th'  rumpus  is  over,  s'posin' 
we  git  back  tew  th'  grub.  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  b'ar," 
and  Silas  hurried  off  toward  the  camp  fire  that  they 
had  left  so  hastily,  followed  by  Big  Tom  and  Ben 
Block. 

Late  the  next  day  the  little  army  succeeded  in 
joining  the  army  of  Colonel  Taylor,  and  the  united 
forces  moved  up  the  Rock  River  in  pursuit  of 
Black  Hawk. 

But  it  was  like  chasing  a  shadow.  The  Indians 
purposely  confused  their  trail.  At  one  place  it 
would  be  a  broad  path,  then  abruptly  it  would  break 
up  into  many  small  trails,  radiating  in  all  directions. 
The  army  divided  itself  into  companies  and  pur- 
sued the  Indians  along  these  diverging  trails,  but 
in  vain.  They  never  overtook  a  single  Indian, 
although  they  frequently  came  upon  terrible  evi- 
dences of  the  presence  of  the  savages  —  a  pioneer's 
home,  deserted,  burnt  to  the  ground,  the  cattle 
slaughtered  and  sometimes  scalps  hanging  where 
they  could  not  fail  to  see  them. 

This  fruitless  warfare,  this  everlasting  chasing 
of  something  never  overtaken,  exasperated  the  vol- 
unteers. They  became  restless,  threatened  to  leave 
and  finally,  when  they  reached  the  borders  of  their 
own  state  and  Colonel  Taylor  ordered  them  to 
cross  over  Rock  River  to  the  Indian  country  beyond, 
some  of  them  rebelled  and  refused  to  cross,  declar- 
ing that  they  had  only  volunteered  to  defend  their 
own  state  and  that  no  officer  had  the  right  to 
command  them  to  cross  over  its  borders. 


330  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

""*" 

"Now  what  dew  yew  reckon  Colonel  Taylor'll 
dew?"  Silas  asked  Captain  Lincoln. 

The  two  men,  together  with  Big  Tom  and  Ben 
Block,  were  near  where  Taylor  stood  quietly 
listening  to  the  rebellious  men. 

"  Do  ?  "  and  Lincoln's  eyes  glinted.  "  What  can 
he  do,  if  he  is  fit  to  command,  but  make  them  cross, 
if  necessary  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet?  And  I'll 
bet  my  old  hat  against  your  coonskin  cap  that  he'll 
do  it.  He  has  the  look  of  a  man  that  will  not  stand 
for  this  sort  of  thing.  Now,  listen,  he  is  going  to 
answer  the  mutineers." 

Colonel  Taylor  had  quietly  heard  the  rebellious 
soldiers  to  the  end,  standing  stiffly  erect.  He  now 
took  a  couple  of  steps  toward  them  and  lifted  his 
hand  for  silence. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  feel  that  all  here  are 
my  equals;  in  reality,  I  am  persuaded  that  many 
of  them  will,  in  a  few  years,  be  my  superiors,  and 
perhaps,  in  the  capacity  of  members  of  Congress, 
arbiters  of  the  fortunes  and  reputations  of  humble 
servants  of  the  republic,  like  myself.  I  expect  then 
to  obey  them  as  interpreters  of  the  will  of  the 
people,  and  the  best  proof  that  I  will  obey  them  is 
to  observe  the  orders  of  those  whom  the  people 
have  already  put  in  the  place  of  authority  to  which 
many  gentlemen  around  me  justly  aspire.  In  plain 
English,  gentlemen  and  fellow  citizens,  the  word 
has  been  passed  on  to  me  from  Washington  to 
follow  Black  Hawk  and  to  take  you  with  me  as 
soldiers.  I  mean  to  do  both.  There  are  the  flat- 


On  the  Trail  of  the  Hawk  331 

boats  drawn  up  on  the  shore,  and  here  are  Uncle 
Sam's  men  drawn  up  behind  you  on  the  prairie."* 

That  was  all,  but  it  was  sufficient.  The  volun- 
teers took  one  look  at  the  regiment  drawn  up  behind 
them,  another  at  the  stern  face  of  Taylor,  and 
crossed  the  river  without  any  help  from  Uncle 
Sam's  men. 

"  Thar/'  and  Silas  turned  to  Big  Tom,  "  stands 
anuther  man  that'll  make  a  pretty  high  mark  some 
day,  or  I  kin't  tell  real  manhood  when  I  see  it. 
He's  got  th'  right  sort  o'  pluck." 

"Yes,"  agreed  Big  Tom,  "he  knows  how  to 
handle  men,  and  I'm  hoping  he  knows  how  to  find 
Indians,  instead  of  how  to  chase  them  all  over 
the  country.  Si,"  and  the  face  of  Big  Tom  bright- 
ened, "  isn't  it  about  time  we  heard  something  from 
that  old  Indian  Lincoln  saved?  He  promised  to 
find  Martha  and  the  children  if  the  Indians  held 
them  prisoners,  and  to  give  them  the  message  I 
wrote  and  to  hurry  back  and  let  me  know.  Seems 
like  I  could  not  stand  the  suspense  much  longer. 
They've  been  prisoners  now  for  more  than  a  week 
and  —  and  so  many  terrible  things  might  happen 
to  them!  —  Come  on.  We'll  get  across  the  river. 
I  must  do  something  to  keep  from  thinking  about 
them  or  I'll  go  crazy,"  and  he  hurried  down  the 
bank  of  the  river  and  on  board  one  of  the  flatboats, 
followed  by  Silas  and  Ben  Block,  Captain  Lincoln 
having  already  departed  to  see  to  the  embarking  of 
his  own  men. 

*A  true  incident. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

TIED  TO  THE  STAKE 

TT  WAS  early  in  the  afternoon  when  the  five 

•*•  Indians,  with  their  prisoners,  left  the  smoking 
ruins  of  the  pioneers'  home  and  hurried  northward 
across  the  lonely  prairie.  For  a  few  miles  all  went 
well.  Mrs.  Clay  and  the  children  gave  their  captors 
no  trouble.  The  baby,  still  in  a  sleeplike  stupor, 
lay  quietly  in  her  anxious  mother's  arms,  and 
Gideon  and  Ruth  plodded  on  in  stoical  silence,  their 
feelings  partially  benumbed  by  the  sudden  unex- 
pectedness and  the  completeness  of  their  misfortune. 
But  physical  strength  and  endurance,  even  when 
backed  by  the  strongest  of  mother-love,  will  grow 
weary  when  overtasked,  and  soon  the  strain  of 
carrying  the  child,  in  spite  of  her  utmost  efforts, 
began  to  tell  on  Mrs.  Clay.  Gideon  was  quick  to 
notice  her  weariness  and  anxiously  offered  to  carry 
the  baby,  but  not  until  her  arms  began  to  feel  as 
if  they  could  not  support  the  child  another  moment, 
would  the  poor  woman  surrender  the  precious  little 
form,  so  fearful  was  she  of  what  might  happen 
should  the  Indians  discover  that  the  baby  was 
becoming  a  burden. 

Now  again  for  a  few  miles  all  went  well,  the 
baby  lying  quietly  in  Gideon's  arms.  But  the  child 
was  over  two  years  old  and  large  for  her  age,  and 

332 


Tied  to  the  Stake  333 

soon  her  weight  began  to  tire  even  the  sturdy  arms 
of  Gideon  and  his  feet  began  to  lag  a  little. 

One  of  the  Indians,  noticing  this,  stepped  quickly 
behind  him  and,  suddenly  drawing  his  knife,  pricked 
him  sharply  with  its  point. 

Gideon  gave  a  violent  start  and  whirled  angrily 
around,  and  in  the  sudden  heat  of  his  rage  only 
the  baby  in  his  arms  prevented  him  from  foolishly 
striking  the  Indian  with  his  clenched  fist. 

The  Indian  grinned,  then  scowled  darkly. 

"Hurry.  No  time  waste,"  and  again  he  threat- 
ened with  his  knife.  "Papoose  heavy.  Leave  on 
grass.  Make  nice  meal  for  wolf,"  and  he  stretched 
out  his  arms  as  if  he  were  about  to  take  the  baby 
and  put  his  threat  into  execution. 

Mrs.  Clay,  her  face  as  white  as  death  and  her 
eyes  shining  like  points  of  light,  snatched  the  baby 
from  Gideon's  arms  and  turned  on  the  savage  so 
furiously  that  he  took  a  quick  step  backward  and 
raised  his  knife  threateningly,  an  ugly  glitter  in 
his  cruel  little  black  eyes. 

Ruth  screamed  and  clung,  frantic  with  fear,  to 
her  mother's  dress. 

Gideon,  his  muscles  tense  as  steel  springs, 
crouched,  his  eyes  on  the  eyes  of  the  Indian,  ready 
to  spring  to  his  mother's  aid. 

But  before  a  threatening  move  could  be  made  a 
brown  hand  caught  the  uplifted  wrist  of  the  Indian 
and  jerked  the  hand  that  held  the  threatening  knife 
downward,  while  a  guttural  voice  uttered  a  quick 
angry  command  in  the  Indian  tongue;  and  the 


334  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

leader  of  the  little  band  of  savages  pushed  the 
angry  Indian  aside. 

"  No  hurt,"  and  he  turned  to  Mrs.  Clay  and 
Gideon.  "Leaping  Deer  say  must  not  hurt  white 
squaw  and  papooses,  but  take  safe  to  village  of 
Black  Hawk.  Leaping  Deer  great  chief.  Now 
hurry.  Village  two  hours  fast  walk,"  and  he 
motioned  all  to  continue  on  their  way,  he  himself 
keeping  by  the  side  of  Mrs.  Clay. 

At  the  end  of  half  an  hour  Mrs.  Clay,  although 
she  tried  her  best  to  show  no  signs  of  weariness  and 
to  keep  pace  with  the  others,  was  again  almost  com- 
pletely exhausted. 

Gideon  turned  to  take  the  baby  once  more,  but 
at  the  same  moment  the  big  Indian  by  her  side 
suddenly  reached  out  his  naked  arms. 

"  Me  carry  white  papoose,"  he  said.  "  No  hurt," 
he  added  quickly,  as  he  saw  the  startled  look  that 
came  on  Mrs.  Clay's  face. 

For  a  moment  Mrs.  Clay  looked  steadily  into 
the  eyes  of  the  big  Indian,  then  she  handed  the 
baby  to  him. 

"  Sick,  baby  sick,"  she  said. 

The  Indian  looked  down  at  the  flushed  face  of 
the  child. 

"  Sick,  bad,"  he  grunted  and  nodded,  and  then, 
holding  the  baby  easily  in  his  great  arms,  he  strode 
on,  with  Mrs.  Clay  hurrying  tremblingly  along  by 
his  side,  her  eyes  constantly  on  the  little  form  held 
close  to  the  dusky  breast. 

A  short  time  before  sundown  they  came  to  a 


Tied  to  the  Stake  335 

secluded  little  valley,  through  which  flowed  a  small 
stream  of  water. 

"Village  of  Black  Hawk,"  and  the  big  Indian 
by  the  side  of  Mrs.  Clay  pointed  to  a  grove  of 
trees  that  grew  near  the  center  of  the  valley  and 
nci;  far  from  the  little  stream  of  water.  "Now, 
take  papoose,"  and  he  handed  the  baby  to  Mrs. 
Clay  and,  throwing  back  his  head,  uttered  a  wild 
halloo. 

Almost  instantly  the  little  grove  was  swarming 
with  life,  and  hardly  had  the  echo  of  the  wild  halloo 
ceased  its  reverberations  when  fifty  or  more  young 
bucks  and  squaws,  followed  by  a  string  of  young- 
sters, were  racing  out  to  meet  the  Indians  and  their 
prisoners.  A  couple  of  minutes  later  and  the 
prisoners  found  themselves  surrounded  by  an 
excited  throng  of  wildly  gesticulating  and  talking 
Indians,  who  crowded  threateningly  close  to  them. 
But  the  big  Indian  who  had  befriended  Mrs.  Clay, 
and  the  four  warriors  with  him,  kept  the  crowd  at 
a  safe  distance,  although  a  sharp  stone,  thrown  by 
a  boy,  did  hit  Gideon  on  the  cheek  and  cut  it  so 
that  the  blood  flowed.  As  they  approached  nearer 
the  village  the  crowd  increased  and  pressed  closer 
and  more  threateningly  around  the  captives. 

Cruelty  to  prisoners  is  a  part  of  the  war  code  of 
Indians.  They  believe  that  an  enemy,  in  surren- 
dering, forfeits  all  his  rights,  and  that  therefore  he 
is  theirs  to  torture,  kill,  treat  as  they  please,  accord- 
ing to  the  mood  and  the  temper  of  those  into  whose 
hands  he  has  fallen,  and  unfortunately  the  followers 


336  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

of  Black  Hawk  just  at  this  time  were  in  a  particu- 
larly ugly  temper.  Added  to  a  long  list  of  wrongs, 
or  fancied  wrongs,  was  the  recent  butchery  of  their 
emissaries  of  peace.  Then  they  had  already  tasted 
blood,  had  already  killed  and  been  killed;  and  all 
their  savage  passions,  dormant  for  many  years,  had 
been  suddenly  aroused.  Consequently,  when  the 
five  Indians  entered  the  village  with  their  prisoners 
there  was  great  rejoicing,  for  now  all  felt  that  they 
would  have  the  opportunity  to  wreak  their  savage 
vengeance  on  the  hated  enemy.  They  were  sorry 
that  the  prisoners  were  not  all  men,  but  even  white 
squaws  and  papooses  were  not  to  be  despised. 
Besides,  Gideon  was  almost  a  man. 

Mrs.  Clay,  as  they  were  hurried  along  into  the 
village,  noted  all  these  terrible  signs  of  savage 
hatred  and  vengeance  with  a  sinking  heart;  but  she 
was  wise  enough  and  brave  enough  to  hide  her 
fears  from  the  Indians. 

"  Keep  up  a  bold  front,"  she  hurriedly  whispered 
to  Gideon.  "  Don't  let  them  see  that  you  are  afraid, 
and  —  and  Gid,"  she  cautioned,  "keep  tight  reins 
on  your  temper.  In  their  present  excited  frame  of 
mind,  it  would  not  take  much  to  make  them  do 
terrible  things." 

"I  —  I  know,"  Gideon  answered,  his  voice  trem- 
bling just  a  little;  "but  it  is  terrible  to  stand  all 
this,"  and  his  eyes  glanced  around  at  the  yelling 
mob,  pressing  close  on  every  side,  "and  not  be 
able  to  hit  back.  I  think  I  could  die  happy  if  I  could 
smash  two  or  three  of  them  in  the  jaw  first." 


Tied  to  the  Stake  337 

"  But,  don't  you  do  it ! "  and  Mrs.  Clay  placed  a 
quick  hand  on  his  shoulder.  "Whatever  they  do, 
don't  you  dare  to  hit  back.  It  would  mean  certain 
death  to  you  and,  maybe,  to  all  of  us,"  and  she  shud- 
dered and  hugged  the  baby  close  to  her  bosom. 

"I'll  not  forget,  Mother,"  and  Gideon's  face 
hardened  and  his  young  lips  tightened  across  his 
teeth.  "  They  can  do  what  they  please  to  me,  and 
I'll  stand  for  it;  but  if  —  " 

Here  a  violent  blow  alongside  of  his  head  caused 
Gideon  to  whirl  quickly  about  and  almost  to  forget 
the  promise  he  had  just  made  his  mother,  and  the 
next  moment  a  shove  separated  him  from  Mrs. 
Clay,  while  some  one,  reaching  over  the  heads  of 
the  others,  struck  him  on  the  back  with  the  long 
limb  of  a  tree. 

The  squaws,  mostly  old  hags,  were  now  pressing 
close  around  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  and  the  baby, 
and  stretching  out  skinny,  talon-like  hands  in  vain 
efforts  to  grab  hold  of  them;  but  their  guards 
shoved  them  roughly  back  and  really  seemed  anx- 
ious to  protect  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  and  the  baby 
as  much  as  possible. 

In  this  manner,  with  the  squaws  and  the  papooses 
—  the  warriors  took  no  part  in  this  wild,  undig- 
nified squabble  to  get  at  the  prisoners  —  surging 
tumultuously  around  them,  the  unfortunate  cap- 
tives were  conducted  to  an  opening  near  the  center 
of  the  woods,  about  which  were  ranged  the  rude 
wigwams  of  the  savages.  Here  a  strong  guard  was 
placed  over  them,  and  the  squaws  and  the  papooses 


338  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

were  given  most  emphatically  to  understand  that, 
for  the  present,  they  were  to  let  the  prisoners  alone. 

Black  Hawk,  it  seemed,  was  away  with  a  band 
of  warriors,  and  the  captives  would  have  to  await 
his  return  before  learning  their  fate. 

The  baby,  during  the  greater  part  of  this  time, 
had  remained  in  the  sleeplike  stupor  into  which 
she  had  fortunately  fallen  a  short  time  before  the 
capture;  but  now  she  awoke  and  began  to  cry  in 
a  pitifully  weak  way,  and  all  the  anxious  comfort- 
ing of  her  mother  and  Ruth  could  not  quiet  her. 
Gideon  was  held  prisoner  some  two  rods  away 
from  his  mother  and  Ruth  and  was  not  allowed  to 
hold  any  communication  whatever  with  them. 
Consequently,  he  could  only  look  his  sympathy. 

The  Indians  regarded  the  crying  baby  with  stoical 
indifference.  It  mattered  not  to  them  whether  the 
child  lived  or  died,  except  it  would  be  a  little  more 
pleasant  to  have  those  disagreeable  sounds  stopped 
—  and  death  would  stop  them. 

Food  and  water  were  brought  and  placed  before 
the  prisoners,  but  not  one  of  them  could  eat  a 
mouthful.  The  horrors  of  their  situation  seemed 
to  have  killed  their  hunger.  However,  all  were  very 
glad  to  get  the  water,  especially  on  account  of  the 
baby,  who  at  once  became  easier  and  ceased  crying 
after  she  had  drunk  and  her  hot  face  and  head  had 
been  bathed,  and  lay  quiet  in  her  mother's  arms 
again,  still  in  the  semi-stupor  of  exhaustion  and 
disease. 

About  an  hour  after  sundown,  when  it  had  be- 


Tied  to  the  Stake  339 

come  quite  dark  outside  the  circles  of  light  around 
the  camp  fires,  there  suddenly  arose  a  great  shout- 
ing and  commotion  among  the  Indians;  and,  a  few 
minutes  later,  Leaping  Deer  and  his  warriors  entered 
the  encampment,  proudly  bearing  with  them  a 
number  of  bloody  evidences  of  their  prowess  and 
also  the  bodies  of  two  of  their  braves,  who  had 
been  killed  in  their  fight  with  the  settler  and  his 
family  whose  scalps  now  graced  their  home-coming. 

Mike  Girty  was  still  with  them,  and  the  moment 
he  entered  the  village  his  eyes  sought  out  the  pris- 
oners. He  grinned  when  he  saw  them,  and,  as  he 
passed  Gideon,  he  cried :  "  Keep  up  yewr  sperits. 
I'll  be  back  soon  tew  claim  my  prisoner."  He 
scowled  vindictively  at  Mrs.  Clay  as  he  hurried  by, 
but  said  nothing  to  her.  Evidently  he  had  not  for- 
gotten her  biting  words  of  contempt  and  would 
not  forget  them. 

Some  four  or  five  rods  from  where  the  prisoners 

were  stationed  and  in  front  of  the  largest  wigwam 

in  the  village,  was  a  great  fire,  around  which  a  num- 

\  ber  of  buffalo  robes  and  bearskins  had  been  spread 

out  on  the  ground. 

Leaping  Deer  and  his  warriors,  bearing  the  two 
dead  bodies  with  them,  went  direct  to  this  fire,  laid 
the  two  corpses  down  on  the  ground  in  front  of  the 
wigwam,  and  seated  themselves  on  the  skins  ranged 
around  the  fire,  the  other  warriors  of  the  village 
falling  in  back  of  them,  while  the  squaws  and  the 
older  papooses  crowded  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
rear  rank  of  the  warriors. 


340  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

The  skin  flap  that  covered  the  entrance  to  the 
big  tent  was  now  pushed  aside  and  White  Cloud, 
the  Winnebago  prophet  and  medicine  man  —  invet- 
erate enemy  of  the  whites  —  stepped  out.  He  was 
dressed  in  the  full  regalia  of  a  medicine  man  of 
his  tribe,  with  a  feathered  headdress  that  trailed 
on  the  ground  behind  him.  In  one  hand  he  car- 
ried his  richly  decorated  and  mysterious  medicine 
bag  and  in  the  other  a  large  tobacco  pipe,  quaintly 
carved  and  having  a  long  stem.  A  step  in  front  of 
the  tent  entrance  he  paused  dramatically  and  stood 
very  straight,  with  both  hands  upraised,  head 
thrown  back,  and  eyes  lifted  skyward,  as  if  he  wrere 
invoking  the  blessings  of  the  Great  Spirit;  but, 
although  his  lips  moved,  he  uttered  no  audible 
sounds. 

White  Cloud  was  a  tall,  well-built  man,  with  a 
strong,  thin  face,  hawklike  nose  and  foxlike  eyes, 
and  made  a  very  imposing  and  somewhat  awesome 
appearance,  as  he  stood  there,  with  the  red  light  of 
the  fire  falling  upon  his  tall,  weird  figure. 

For  perhaps  a  couple  of  minutes  he  stood  thus; 
then,  with  a  slow  sweeping  gesture,  he  lowered  his 
hands  and  walked  to  the  spot  where  the  dead  war- 
riors lay.  By  the  side  of  the  dead  he  again  paused 
and,  slowly  inserting  the  hand  holding  the  bowl  of 
the  pipe  into  the  medicine  bag,  drew  it  out  with  the 
bowl  filled  with  tobacco.  Now,  lifting  the  medicine 
bag,  he  shook  it  gently  over  the  bowl  of  the  pipe, 
and  almost  instantly  the  tobacco  within  began  to 
smoke,  as  if  it  had  been  lighted  in  some  mysterious 


Tied  to  the  Stake  341 

manner  by  the  shaking  of  the  medicine  bag  over  it. 
For  a  moment  White  Cloud  stood,  holding  the 
smoking  pipe  in  his  outstretched  hand,  then  he 
raised  it  high  above  his  head  and,  lifting  his  eyes 
skyward,  suddenly  called  out  a  half-dozen  Indian 
words,  in  a  loud,  shrill  voice.  The  ceremony  of  the 
uplifted  pipe  completed,  he  slowly  lowered  the  pipe, 
placed  its  stem  in  his  mouth  and  drew  in  a  mouthful 
of  smoke.  Then  he  bent  over  the  body  of  one  of 
the  dead  Indians  and  blew  the  smoke  slowly  over 
the  dead  face.  This  rite  was  repeated  over  the 
face  of  the  other  dead  Indian. 

White  Cloud  now  straightened  up  and,  striding 
into  the  middle  of  the  circle  of  warriors,  handed 
the  pipe  in  silence  to  Leaping  Deer,  who  received 
it  in  silence,  slowly  drew  in  three  puffs  of  smoke, 
and  then  passed  the  pipe  to  the  warrior  sitting  at 
his  right.  This  warrior,  in  turn,  took  three  puffs 
of  the  smoke  and  handed  it  to  the  Indian  sitting 
at  his  right.  Thus,  in  absolute  silence,  the  pipe 
was  slowly  passed  around  the  circles  of  warriors; 
and  not  until  the  last  warrior  had  taken  his  last  puff 
and  the  pipe  had  been  returned  to  White  Cloud  was 
the  silence  broken. 

The  moment  the  pipe  was  back  in  the  hand  of 
White  Cloud  his  whole  demeanor  changed.  His 
eyes  kindled.  His  form  dilated.  He  took  a  couple 
of  quick  steps,  until  he  stood  by  the  side  of  the 
bodies  of  the  dead  warriors;  and  then,  raising  both 
hands  in  a  commanding  gesture,  he  began  to  speak, 
at  first  slowly  and  deliberately,  but  soon  increasing 


342  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

in  vehemence,  as  if  swept  along  by  the  whirlwind 
of  his  thoughts,  until  the  words  poured  from  him 
in  an  angry  torrent  of  wrathful  denunciations. 

Mrs.  Clay  and  Gideon  and  Ruth  could  not  under- 
stand a  word  that  he  said;  but  there  was  no  need 
that  they  should  understand  in  order  for  them  to 
comprehend  the  import  of  what  he  was  saying.  His 
face,  his  actions,  his  angry  gestures,  his  whole 
bearing,  showed  that  he  was  denouncing  the  whites 
and  calling  upon  the  warriors  to  avenge  their  wrongs 
and  the  death  of  their  comrades.  He  pointed  to 
the  wounds  in  the  bodies  of  the  dead  warriors,  he 
extolled  their  bravery  and  patriotism ;  and  then,  sud- 
denly turning,  he  took  a  couple  of  quick  steps  in 
the  direction  of  the  prisoners,  and,  extending  a 
denunciatory  hand  in  their  direction,  spoke  with 
such  an  angry  vehemence,  such  impassioned  elo- 
quence, that  in  two  minutes  he  had  half  the  warriors 
standing  upon  their  feet,  their  right  hands  gripping 
the  handles  of  their  tomahawks,  their  eyes  fixed 
on  the  white  faces  of  the  prisoners,  their  muscles 
tense,  like  the  muscles  of  hounds  in  sight  of  their 
prey,  yet  held  back  by  the  leash. 

A  word  would  set  all  that  raging  humanity  upon 
the  prisoners. 

Mrs.  Clay  saw  the  storm  that  was  coming  and 
stood  upon  her  feet  to  receive  it.  Ruth  clung 
tightly  to  her  mother.  Gideon  stepped  swiftly  to 
his  mother's  side,  and,  in  the  excitement  of  the 
moment,  no  hand  was  raised  to  stay  him. 

"  Mother,"  and  he  laid  a  hand  upon  her  trembling 


Tied  to  the  Stake  343 

shoulder,  "they  will  not  harm  you  and  Ruth  and 
the  baby.  Show  no  fear  and  keep  quiet;  whatever 
happens  to  me,  keep  quiet.  I  will  draw  their  atten- 
tion to  me.  Tell  dad  that  I  did  my  best —  Mother, 
good-by,"  and,  suddenly  throwing  his  arms  around 
her  neck,  he  pressed  a  quick  kiss  on  her  face,  whirled 
swiftly  about  and  sprang,  with  astonishing  quick- 
ness and  force,  upon  the  nearest  guard,  hurling  him 
violently  to  the  ground,  and  leaped  off,  like  a  wild 
deer  frightened  by  the  bound  of  a  panther. 

The  heroic  boy  had  determined  to  give  his  life 
in  an  effort  to  save  the  lives  of  his  mother  and 
sisters,  reasoning  that,  if  he  gave  the  Indians  suffi- 
cient cause,  they  would  vent  all  their  fury  on  him. 
He  had  no  hope  of  escaping.  He  only  hoped  to  so 
anger  the  savages  that  all  the  frenzy  and  wrath  that 
he  saw  was  about  to  burst  forth  would  break  and 
spend  itself  on  him. 

For  the  brief  fraction  of  a  second  all  the  Indians 
stood  as  if  paralyzed  by  the  sudden  unexpectedness, 
the  wild  daring  of  the  act  of  Gideon,  then  all  their 
pent-up  fury  burst  bounds  and  men,  women,  and 
children  were  after  him,  like  a  pack  of  hungry 
wolves  after  a  wounded  deer. 

The  chase  was  of  short  duration.  From  the  first 
there  had  been  no  hope  for  Gideon.  He  made  a 
swift  run,  a  brave,  strong  fight,  for  a  boy;  but, 
before  he  had  gone  twenty  rods,  he  was  overtaken 
by  a  dozen  warriors  and  pulled  to  the  ground,  still 
fighting  with  every  ounce  of  strength  in  his  vigor- 
ous young  body,  and,  before  he  was  completely  sub- 


344  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

dued,  there  were  many  warriors  who  would  carry 
on  their  faces  and  bodies  for  many  days  the  marks 
made,  during  his  brief  but  furious  struggle,  by  his 
hard  fist,  or  the  club  he  had  caught  up. 

Leaping  Deer  had  taken  no  part  in  the  chase  of 
Gideon.  The  boy  was  not  his  prisoner  and  he  cared 
little  what  became  of  him.  He  was  Mike  Girty's 
prisoner.  Let  Mike  Girty  take  care  of  his  own. 
But  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth  and  the  baby  were  his  pris- 
oners. They  had  surrendered  directly  to  him,  and 
the  appeal  of  their  surrender  had  touched  the  rude 
chivalry  of  his  wild  nature.  He  had  no  intentions 
of  deserting  them  now,  and,  consequently,  he  took 
advantage  of  the  confusion  and  the  excitement 
caused  by  the  sudden  outbreak  of  Gideon  to  hurry 
to  their  sides. 

Mrs.  Clay  stood,  clasping  the  baby  tightly  to  her 
bosom,  her  eyes  fixed  in  horror  and  anguish  on 
the  mass  of  yelling  savages  surging  around  the 
spot  where  she  had  last  seen  Gideon.  She  did  not 
see  the  approach  of  Leaping  Deer;  did  not  know 
that  he  was  near,  until  he  spoke. 

"No  afraid,"  he  said,  drawing  his  tall  form  up 
in  front  of  Mrs.  Clay  and  Ruth.  "  Indians  no  hurt. 
You  prisoners  of  Leaping  Deer." 

Mrs.  Clay,  at  his  words,  turned  quickly  to  him, 
and,  when  she  saw  who  he  was,  she  caught  him 
frantically  by  the  arm. 

"My  boy!  Save  my  boy!"  she  cried,  pointing 
to  the  mass  of  still  struggling  Indians  that  surged 
around  Gideon. 


Tied  to  the  Stake  345 

"  He  no  my  prisoner.  He  prisoner  of  Mike  Girty. 
Leaping  Deer  can  do  nothing,"  the  Indian  answered, 
stoically. 

At  this  moment  the  struggling  jam  of  Indians 
parted,  and  Gideon,  with  nearly  every  stitch  of 
clothing  torn  off  his  body  and  his  face  bruised  and 
bleeding,  but  still  standing  erect  on  his  two  good 
legs,  with  a  powerful  warrior  gripping  tightly  each 
arm,  was  dragged  forth,  Mike  Girty  walking  trium- 
phantly in  front  of  him  and  the  mob  pressing  close 
behind. 

Straight  to  where  Mrs.  Clay  stood  Girty  con- 
ducted his  prisoner.  He  frowned  when  he  saw 
Leaping  Deer  standing  protectingly  near  her. 

"  My  prisoners,"  Leaping  Deer  said,  lifting  his 
hands  and  holding  them  over  the  heads  of  Mrs. 
Clay  and  Ruth  and  the  baby,  and  calmly  confronting 
Girty  and  the  Indians  back  of  him.  "He  your 
prisoner,"  and  he  pointed  to  Gideon.  "  Do  with 
him  what  you  will,  but  my  prisoners  you  shall  not 
touch." 

"Who  is  wantin'  tew  touch  yewr  prisoners?" 
and  Girty  grinned  until  the  fanglike  teeth  showed 
through  his  red  beard.  "We're  jest  a-goin'  tew 
build  a  fire  an'  roast  a  leetle  white  meat  right  thar," 
and  he  pointed  to  the  straight  trunk  of  a  young 
tree  that  grew  a  little  apart  from  the  others  and 
not  twenty  feet  from  where  Mrs.  Clay  stood;  "so 
that  a  white  wimen  kin  see  how  Mike  Girty  repays 
th'  taunts  an'  insults  o'  those  who  hate  him  'cause 
he  loves  th'  Injuns  an'  despises  his  own  race,"  and 


346  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  grin  broadened  and  the  little  red  eyes  turned 
gloatingly  on  the  whitening  face  of  Mrs.  Clay. 

It  was  a  moment  before  the  anguish-stricken 
woman  comprehended  the  full  import  of  Girty 's 
words,  and  then,  with  a  moaning  cry  of  outraged 
mother  love,  she  threw  herself  at  the  feet  of  Girty 
and  begged  him  to  spare  her  boy. 

Girty  grinned  down  at  her  for  a  moment  in  vin- 
dictive triumph,  and  then  he  deliberately  drew  back 
his  foot  and  kicked  her,  hard  enough  to  tumble  her 
over  backward. 

At  the  sight  of  this  brutal  act  the  blood  surged 
hot  through  Gideon's  veins.  At  the  same  moment 
he  felt  the  grips  on  his  arm  relax  a  little;  and, 
suddenly  throwing  all  the  strength  of  his  muscular 
young  body  into  the  effort,  he  wrenched  his  arms 
free  from  the  holds  of  the  two  warriors,  and,  before 
a  hand  could  stop  him,  leaped  at  Girty  and  struck, 
with  all  the  might  of  his  powerful  young  arm, 
straight  at  the  red,  grinning  face. 

Gideon,  although  but  a  little  over  sixteen  years 
old,  was  unusually  large  and  strong,  and  now  rage 
doubled  his  strength.  His  fist  struck  Girty  squarely 
in  the  right  eye,  and  the  man  went  down  like  an  ox 
hit  with  an  ax  in  the  hands  of  a  strong  man.  The 
next  instant  a  dozen  warriors  had  leaped  upon 
Gideon  and  had  borne  him  to  the  ground;  and, 
before  he  was  again  allowed  to  stand  on  his  feet, 
his  hands  were  securely  bound  behind  his  back. 

Mike  Girty,  at  first  hardly  comprehending  what 
had  struck  him,  arose  dazedly  and  slowly  to  his 


Tied  to  the  Stake  347 

feet  and  glared  wildly  around.  His  eyes  fell  on 
Gideon,  who,  with  his  hands  bound  behind  him, 
had  just  been  jerked  to  his  feet  —  and  Mike  Girty 
knew  what  had  hit  him! 

For  a  moment  he  looked  as  if  he  were  about  to 
spring  upon  the  boy  and  tear  him  to  pieces,  and  he 
took  a  couple  of  swift  steps  toward  him.  Then  he 
stopped  and  grinned.  He  knew  a  better  way  to 
avenge  the  blow ! 

"  Tie  him  tew  th'  tree,"  he  commanded.  "  Pile 
th'  wood  up  high  'round  him.  I'll  light  th'  fire 
with  my  own  hand,"  and  he  strode  to  the  tree  and 
saw  that  the  unfortunate  boy's  body  and  arms  and 
legs  were  firmly  bound  to  the  trunk,  and  superin- 
tended the  placing  of  the  wood  brought  by  the 
willing  hands  of  squaws  and  boys,  in  the  meantime 
taunting  and  insulting  Gideon  in  every  possible  way 
that  his  fiendish  ingenuity  could  suggest. 

Gideon  never  answered  him  a  word,  but  a  gleam 
of  satisfaction  came  into  his  eyes  every  time  they 
caught  sight  of  the  rapidly  swelling  and  blackening 
eye  of  Girty. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

BLACK    HAWK 

ORTURE,  to  test  the  courage  and  the  grit  of 
•*•  the  victim,  with  the  American  Indian  usually 
preceded  the  burning  at  the  stake,  and  no  exception 
was  to  be  made  of  Gideon.  He  had  shown  the 
courage  and  the  pluck  of  a  warrior,  and,  although 
but  a  boy,  all  the  honors  due  a  warrior  were  to  be 
his.  Consequently,  as  soon  as  he  was  properly 
bound  to  the  tree,  with  thongs  of  green  rawhide, 
so  that  they  would  not  catch  fire  easily,  and  the 
wood  had  been  placed  at  just  the  right  distance 
from  him,  so  that  the  heat  of  the  fire  would  not 
kill  too  quickly,  the  warriors  gathered  in  front  of 
him  to  begin  the  dreadful  ordeal ;  and  back  of  them 
crowded  the  youths,  who  were  not  yet  warriors,  and 
the  squaws  and  the  papooses. 

In  vain  Mrs.  Clay  had  appealed  to  Leaping  Deer 
to  save  her  boy  from  the  stake.  He  had  only  re- 
iterated :  "  He  Girty's  prisoner.  Leaping  Deer  can 
do  nothing."  And  now,  when  she  saw  that  the 
harrowing  tortures  were  about  to  begin  and  she 
helpless  to  hinder  or  even  to  mitigate,  she  sank, 
sobbing  and  moaning,  down  on  the  ground  and 
covered  her  eyes  with  her  hands  to  shut  out  the 
horrible  sight. 

Ruth,  up  to  this  time,  had  clung  frantically  to 
348 


Black  Hawk  349 


her  mother,  hardly  comprehending  what  had  hap- 
pened or  what  threatened  to  happen ;  but  now,  when 
she  saw  Gideon  bound  to  the  stake  and  the  firewood 
piled  up  around  him  and  the  warriors  gathering 
for  the  torture,  she  suddenly  realized  what  it  all 
meant.  For  a  moment  she  stood,  her  face  whiten- 
ing, her  eyes  growing  big  and  round  with  horror; 
and  then,  forgetting  everything  but  the  peril  of 
Gideon,  she  uttered  a  piercing  scream  and  sprang 
wildly  toward  him,  her  long  hair  flying  out  behind 
her  as  she  ran.  She  eluded  the  quick  hand  of 
Leaping  Deer,  she  dodged  two  other  Indians  that 
tried  to  stop  her,  and  had  just  reached  the  ring  of 
firewood  surrounding  Gideon  when  the  strong  hand 
of  a  warrior  caught  her  by  her  long  hair  and  jerked 
her  violently  backward  —  the  same  warrior  who 
had  threatened  to  leave  the  baby  on  the  grass  for 
the  wolves. 

Like  a  young  wildcat,  Ruth  whirled  furiously 
about,  and,  before  the  Indian  could  stop  her,  she 
dug  the  nails  of  both  hands  in  long  red  scratches 
down  each  side  of  the  painted  face. 

The  warrior,  yelling  with  pain  and  rage,  dropped 
his  hold  on  her  hair,  caught  hold  of  her  dress, 
tearing  it  nearly  off  her  body  and  exposing  her 
white  bosom,  and,  seizing  his  tomahawk  with  the 
other  hand,  swung  it  high  above  his  head,  his  eyes 
burning  with  savage  rage  and  the  lust  of  blood. 

Leaping  Deer  uttered  a  loud  command  and  sprang 
toward  the  savage,  but  he  was  too  late. 

The  tomahawk  descended,  and,  the  next  instant, 


350 The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

it  would  have  been  buried  in  the  head  of  Ruth,  if 
the  bloodshot  eyes  of  the  warrior  had  not  suddenly 
caught  sight  of  the  little  black  stone,  rudely  carved 
into  the  semblance  of  a  hawk,  hanging  from  its 
silver  chain  and  showing  distinctly  against  the  white 
bosom,  and  stayed  the  tomahawk  within  six  inches 
of  the  child's  head.  For  a  moment  he  stood  staring 
down  wonderingly;  then  the  tomahawk  dropped 
from  his  hand,  and,  reaching  out,  he  lifted  the  little 
black  stone  and  held  it  up  where  all  the  excited 
crowding  warriors  could  see. 

"The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk!  The  Totem  of 
Black  Hawk!"  he  cried,  and  yet  again  he  cried: 
"The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk!"  and  stared,  blank 
with  amazement,  around. 

The  warriors,  with  many  exclamations  of  aston- 
ishment and  wonder,  now  pressed  close  around 
Ruth,  their  eyes  fixed  on  the  little  black  hawk  held 
dangling  from  the  hand  of  the  Indian  above  her 
bosom. 

At  first  Ruth  was  at  a  loss  to  comprehend  how 
this  seeming  miracle  had  been  wrought  in  her  behalf. 
The  talismanic  properties  of  the  little  black  hawk, 
given  to  her  so  long  ago  by  Brighteyes,  had  been 
almost  forgotten ;  and  not  once  had  she  thought  of 
the  little  black  stone,  hanging  so  quietly  above  her 
bosom,  during  the  rapidly  succeeding  horrors  of 
that  day  of  horror,  until  she  saw  it  held  up  in  the 
hand  of  the  Indian.  Then  she  remembered  and 
her  face  lighted  with  hope,  for  had  not  Brighteyes 
told  her  that  no  Indian  would  dare  do  her  harm 


Black  Hawk  351 


while  she  wore  the  Totem  of  Black  Hawk,  the  great 
chief,  her  father? 

"  Yes,  see,"  she  cried,  taking  the  totem  from  the 
hand  of  the  Indian  and  holding  it  up.  "  It  is  the 
Totem  of  Black  Hawk,  and  was  given  to  me  by 
Brighteyes,  his  daughter,  who  said  that  no  Indian 
would  dare  harm  the  one  wearing  it,"  and  then  the 
quickwitted  girl,  suddenly  darting  from  the  side  of 
her  captor  and  slipping  the  chain  over  her  head, 
sprang  to  the  side  of  Gideon  and,  flinging  the  chain 
around  his  neck,  turned,  and  defiantly  faced  the 
surrounding  Indians. 

"Now,  harm  a  hair  of  his  head,  if  you  dare!" 
she  cried. 

At  that  moment  Mike  Girty,  his  face  distorted 
and  his  one  visible  eye  —  the  other  had  been  closed 
by  the  fist  of  Gideon  —  bloodshot  with  rage,  sprang 
toward  Gideon  and  was  about  to  tear  the  totem 
from  his  neck,  when  a  lithe  young  Indian,  who  had 
just  made  his  way  through  the  encircling  warriors, 
leaped  with  the  quick  spring  of  a  panther  to  his 
side  and  caught  his  arm.  Pushing  Girty  violently 
to  one  side,  he  turned  and,  laying  a  hand  on  the 
head  of  Gideon,  faced  the  startled  and  amazed 
Indians. 

"  My  brother,"  he  said.  "  No  one  shall  hurt  my 
white  brother  while  Kar-ray-mau-nee  lives,"  and 
his  eyes  defied  the  glowering  eye  of  Girty  and  his 
right  hand  gripped  threateningly  the  haft  of  the 
long  knife  in  his  belt. 

At  the  same  moment  a  young  Indian  woman,  who 


352  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

had  followed  close  behind  the  Indian  lad,  sprang  to 
the  side  of  Ruth. 

11  She  my  sister,"  she  said,  "  the  sister  of  Bright- 
eyes.  My  father,  the  great  chief,  Black  Hawk,  will 
kill  one  who  dares  hurt  my  sister  or  stain  with 
blood  his  totem,"  and  she  touched  the  totem  of 
Black  Hawk,  now  hanging  above  the  bosom  of 
Gideon,  and  turned  and  proudly  and  defiantly  faced 
the  astounded  Indians. 

The  encircling  warriors,  who,  during  these  rapid 
and  unexpected  happenings,  had  been  too  dum- 
founded  to  make  a  move,  now,  when  they  saw  them- 
selves about  to  be  cheated  out  of  the  victim  of  their 
lust  for  blood,  began  to  growl  like  hungry  dogs 
whose  prey  has  been  suddenly  torn  from  them. 

Mike  Girty  was  quick  to  take  advantage  of  this 
discontent,  and  at  once  began  an  impassionate 
appeal  to  all  that  was  brutal  in  their  savage  natures ; 
and  soon  had  the  more  excitable  and  bloodthirsty 
of  the  warriors  demanding  that  their  prey  be  not 
taken  from  them,  that  Gideon  be  surrendered  to 
them  to  do  with  as  they  pleased,  and  threatening  to 
burn  him  at  the  stake  in  spite  of  the  totem  of  Black 
Hawk,  in  spite  of  Kar-ray-mau-nee  and  Brighteyes. 
At  the  close  of  his  harangue,  Mike  Girty  turned 
suddenly  and,  pointing  to  Gideon,  called  on  all  in 
whose  veins  flowed  the  red  blood  of  Indians  and 
not  the  white  milk  of  squaws  to  seize  their  lawful 
prey  and  not  allow  a  squaw  and  a  papoose  to  wrest 
it  from  them. 

A  sound,  the  most  dreadful  in  all  nature,  the 


Black  Hawk  353 


cry  of  human  beings  in  whose  veins  the  blood-lust 
runs  hot,  answered  him;  and  a  hundred  warriors, 
their  faces  inflamed  with  passion,  surged  toward 
the  tree  where  Kar-ray-mau-nee  and  Brighteyes 
stood  by  the  side  of  Gideon  and  Ruth.  But,  before 
a  hand  could  reach  them,  a  distant  shouting  was 
heard,  taken  up  instantly  by  the  squaws  and  the 
papooses  and  the  warriors;  and,  above  the  wild 
tumult,  Gideon  and  Ruth  heard  the  name,  Black 
Hawk!  Black  Hawk! 

The  onrushing  Indians  stopped  at  the  sound  of 
that  dread  name,  hesitated ;  and,  in  that  moment  of 
hesitation,  Leaping  Deer  sprang  in  front  of  Gideon 
and  Ruth  and  called  on  the  maddened  savages  to 
await  the  coming  of  Black  Hawk,  their  chief,  and 
to  abide  by  his  decision.  As  he  spoke,  the  shouting 
became  louder  and  nearer;  and  then  the  mob  of 
Indians  in  front  of  them  parted,  and  down  the 
open  lane  thus  made  strode  an  Indian  dressed  and 
armed  and  painted  for  war,  closely  followed  by  a 
dozen  other  heavily  armed  warriors. 

He  was  a  tall  man,  this  Indian,  with  a  spare, 
steel-strung  frame,  thin,  hawklike  features,  and 
eyes  that  glowed  in  their  sockets  like  black  dia- 
monds. All  the  hair  had  been  plucked  out  of  his 
head,  save  a  single  scalplock,  to  which  was  fastened 
a  bunch  of  eagle  feathers.  He  walked  swiftly,  the 
spring  of  youth  in  his  step,  although  a  man  over 
sixty  years  old,  and  looked  straight  ahead. 

A  striking,  a  terrible  figure  he  appeared  to  Gideon 
and  Ruth,  as  he  strode  toward  them,  down  through 


354  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

the  long  lane  of  savages,  the  red  light  of  the  camp 
fire  lighting  up  his  stern  face  and  tall  form. 

In  front  of  the  prisoners  Black  Hawk  paused, 
his  eyes  turning  swiftly  from  the  face  of  one  to 
the  face  of  the  other,  and  then  passing  to  Leaping 
Deer  and  Kar-ray-mau-nee  and  Brighteyes  and  to 
the  glowering  face  of  Mike  Girty. 

"Black  Hawk/'  and  he  turned  and  faced  the 
near-crowding  warriors,  "  would  know  the  meaning 
of  this/'  and  his  eyes  glanced  from  the  form  of 
Gideon,  still  bound  to  the  tree,  to  the  faces  of  the 
surrounding  warriors. 

Mike  Girty  at  once  took  a  quick  step  toward  the 
chief  and  opened  his  mouth  to  speak.  But,  with 
an  imperious  gesture,  the  chief  silenced  him. 

"  Black  Hawk  will  hear  the  tongue  of  an  Indian 
speak  first,"  and,  with  a  look  of  contempt,  he  turned 
his  back  on  Girty.  "Let  the  tongue  of  Leaping 
Deer  tell  Black  Hawk  why  the  Sacs  were  about  to 
burn  a  prisoner  during  the  absence  of  their  chief," 
and  his  eyes  sought  the  face  of  that  chief. 

Leaping  Deer  at  once,  briefly  and  clearly,  nar- 
rated the  happenings  of  that  day,  so  far  as  they 
concerned  the  prisoners,  from  the  time  of  their 
capture  to  the  present  moment. 

Black  Hawk  listened  to  him  in  silence,  without 
an  emotion  showing  on  his  stern  face  and  with 
hardly  a  movement  of  his  rigidly  erect  body.  The 
moment  he  ceased  speaking  the  chief  turned  to  the 
young  Indian,  who  still  stood  by  the  side  of  Gideon, 
his  right  hand  still  on  the  haft  of  his  knife. 


Black  Hawk  355 


"  Why  does  Kar-ray-mau-nee  call  the  white  pris- 
oner brother?"  he  asked. 

Kar-ray-mau-nee's  fine  face  flushed  and  his  black 
eyes  lighted.  He  took  a  step  toward  Black  Hawk 
and  replied. 

He  told  of  the  day  of  the  Big  Fire,  of  his  race  for 
life  with  it;  of  how,  when  his  strength  failed  him 
and  the  jaws  of  the  Red  Death  were  about  to  shut 
down  on  him,  the  white  man  and  the  boy  had  come 
to  his  aid,  and  of  how  they  had  refused  to  desert 
him,  even  when  they  could  feel  the  hot  breath  of 
the  Red  Death  blistering  their  backs,  and  had  half- 
dragged  and  half -carried  him  to  safety,  at  the  peril 
of  their  own  lives.  "He  saved  Kar-ray-mau-nee 
from  the  Red  Death.  Now  Kar-ray-mau-nee  save 
him,  or  Kar-ray-mau-nee  die  with  him.  Kar-ray- 
mau-nee  has  spoken,"  he  ended,  and  stepped  back 
to  the  side  of  Gideon. 

Immovable,  expressionless,  as  before,  the  stern 
chief  had  listened  to  the  words  of  the  young  Indian; 
and  now,  without  a  word,  without  a  sign  to  show 
whether  he  approved  or  condemned,  he  turned  to 
Brighteyes. 

"Why  does  the  daughter  of  Black  Hawk  hold 
the  hand  of  the  white  girl  and  call  her  sister?" 
he  asked. 

Brighteyes,  still  holding  the  hand  of  Ruth,  stepped 
close  to  the  chief. 

"Brighteyes  is  the  daughter  of  Black  Hawk," 
she  answered,  proudly.  "Black  Hawk  has  taught 
his  daughter  to  return  good  for  good,  service  for 


356  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

service.  This  is  the  white  girl,  whose  father  and 
mother  saved  Brighteyes  and  baby  on  the  night  of 
the  Big  Rain,  gave  her  and  baby  shelter  and  food, 
cared  for  them  as  if  they  were  their  own,  until 
Great  Thunder  came  and  took  them  home.  She  is 
the  white  girl  around  whose  neck  Brighteyes  hung 
the  totem  of  Black  Hawk,  and  Brighteyes  called 
her  sister.  Shall  the  daughter  of  Black  Hawk 
forget  one  she  has  called  sister?  Will  the  great 
chief,  Black  Hawk,  deny  his  totem?  See,  it  hangs 
on  the  neck  of  the  white  boy,  the  white  boy  the 
warriors  of  Black  Hawk  were  about  to  burn,  to 
burn  with  the  totem  of  Black  Hawk  hanging  about 
his  neck,"  and  she  pointed  to  the  bared  bosom  of 
Gideon,  on  which  lay  the  little  black  hawk. 

Black  Hawk's  face  had  remained  as  expression- 
less as  before,  while  Brighteyes  was  speaking,  until 
she  spoke  of  the  totem  and  of  its  threatened  dese- 
cration; then  an  angry  flash  came  into  his  eyes. 
The  moment  she  completed  her  story,  he  strode  to 
the  side  of  Gideon,  lifted  the  little  black  hawk  in 
one  of  his  hands,  examined  it  closely  for  an  instant, 
and  then,  straightening  up  proudly,  turned  to  Kar- 
ray-mau-nee. 

"  Free  the  prisoner,"  he  commanded.  "  Black 
Hawk  will  protect  his  own,"  and  he  turned  and 
faced  the  encircling  warriors. 

As  the  knife  of  Kar-ray-mau-nee  came  from  its 
sheath  and  began  cutting  the  thongs  that  bound 
Gideon  to  the  tree,  Mike  Girty,  his  face  inflamed 
with  baffled  hate  and  rage,  started  to  voice  an  angry 


Silence,  dog  of  a  white  man,  Black  Hawk  has  spoken 


Black  Hawk  357 


protest;  but,  before  he  had  spoken  ten  words,  Black 
Hawk  turned  imperiously  upon  him. 

"Silence,  dog  of  a  white  man!"  he  commanded. 
"Black  Hawk  has  spoken." 

Girty,  for  an  instant,  looked  into  the  chief's 
glowring  eyes  and  then  slunk  back  and  disappeared 
behind  the  crowding  Indians. 

For  a  minute  Black  Hawk  stood  facing  his  braves, 
waiting  to  see  if  there  were  any  others  to  question 
his  decision,  but  not  another  voice  was  raised  in 
protest. 

"It  is  well,"  he  said,  and  turned  to  Brighteyes. 
"  The  daughter  of  Black  Hawk  did  right  in  calling 
the  white  girl  sister,  in  giving  her  the  protection  of 
the  totem  of  Black  Hawk.  Black  Hawk  would  see 
the  mother  of  the  white  girl  and  boy.  Bring  the 
white  woman  here,"  and  he  turned  to  Leaping  Deer. 

Leaping  Deer  hurried  to  where  the  muscular  arms 
of  two  warriors  had  been  forcibly  detaining  Mrs. 
Clay  during  these  exciting  scenes,  and  bade  them 
release  her. 

The  instant  Mrs.  Clay  was  free  she  ran  to  Gideon, 
and  in  a  moment  mother  and  son  were  in  each 
other's  arms. 

A  milder  light  came  into  the  eyes  of  Black  Hawk 
and  the  hard  lines  on  his  face  softened  as  he 
watched  this  affecting  union  of  mother  and  son, 
who,  a  few  minutes  before,  thought  never  to  meet 
again  in  this  life. 

When  Mrs.  Clay  turned  from  Gideon  to  thank 
his  preservers,  Black  Hawk  stood  in  front  of  her. 


358  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

Briefly  the  chief  thanked  her  for  the  care  she  had 
given  his  daughter  and  her  baby,  bade  her  fear  no 
longer,  since  now  she  and  her  children  were  under 
the  protection  of  Black  Hawk,  and  promised,  at 
the  first  opportunity,  to  restore  them  all  to  the 
anxious  father  and  husband. 

The  moment  Black  Hawk  ceased  speaking,  Mrs. 
Clay  attempted  to  thank  him,  but  the  chief  drew 
himself  up  haughtily. 

"  Black  Hawk  wants  not  the  thanks  of  the  white 
woman/'  he  said.  "The  white  people  are  his 
enemies;  they  have  robbed  him,  have  driven  him 
from  the  home  of  his  fathers,  from  the  graves  of 
his  ancestors,  have  shed  the  blood  of  his  warriors 
—  and  the  heart  of  Black  Hawk  is  heavy  and  full 
of  hatred  for  the  whites.  But  an  Indian  never  for- 
gets a  kindness.  Black  Hawk  is  an  Indian  and 
remembers.  He  pays  his  debts.  He  scorns  to  be 
under  obligations  to  the  whites.  He  wipes  out  the 
obligation,  so  that  there  will  be  only  hatred  in  his 
heart.  You  are  free ;  and  the  heart  of  Black  Hawk 
is  satisfied.  He  can  now  hate  all  whites/'  and  the 
chief  turned  abruptly  from  Mrs.  Clay,  spoke  a  few 
words  of  command  to  the  surrounding  warriors, 
and  strode  off. 

During  this  scene  the  sympathetic  eyes  of  Bright- 
eyes  had  turned  often  to  the  sick  child  in  Mrs. 
Clay's  arms,  and  now  she  stepped  to  her  side. 

"Ba-be  sick?"  she  asked. 

Mrs.  Clay  nodded  and  glanced  anxiously  down 
into  the  wan  little  face. 


Black  Hawk  359 


"Come,"  and  Brighteyes  touched  her  arm. 
"  Brighteyes  knows  squaw  who  is  very  old  and  very 
wise.  She  will  cure  ba-be.  Come/'  and,  motioning 
Gideon  and  Ruth  to  follow,  she  led  Mrs.  Clay  to  her 
own  wigwam. 

Gideon,  before  he  followed,  turned  and  gripped 
the  hand  of  Kar-ray-mau-nee  and  tried  to  tell  him 
what  he  thought  of  his  coming  so  bravely  to  his 
rescue;  but  the  words  choked  in  his  throat  and  he 
was  forced  to  turn  and  abruptly  hurry  after  Ruth 
and  his  mother,  to  keep  the  Indian  boy  from  seeing 
the  tears  in  his  eyes.  But  the  face  of  Kar-ray-mau- 
nee  showed  that  he  understood  what  the  white  boy 
wanted  to  say. 

On  the  skin-covered  floor  of  the  wigwam  of 
Brighteyes  played  a  healthy,  copper-colored  young- 
ster, of  about  the  same  age  as  the  child  in  Mrs. 
Clay's  arms,  who,  the  moment  they  entered,  turned 
on  them  a  pair  of  black,  curious  eyes. 

"You  remember.  My  ba-be,"  Brighteyes  said, 
proudly.  Then  she  turned  to  a  squaw,  who  sat 
crouched  near  a  small  fire  that  burned  in  the  center 
of  the  wigwam,  and  spoke  a  few  words  in  the 
Indian  tongue  to  her.  The  squaw  at  once,  with  a 
glance  toward  the  baby  in  Mrs.  Clay's  arms,  hur- 
ried from  the  wigwam.  In  ten  minutes  she  was 
back,  and  with  her  came  a  withered  and  wrinkled 
old  squaw,  who  looked  as  if  the  summers  and  the 
winters  of  more  than  a  hundred  years  might  have 
passed  over  her  head. 

The  old  squaw  went  at  once  to  the  sick  baby, 


360  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

now  lying  on  a  bed  of  soft  skins,  laid  a  withered 
hand  on  her  forehead  and  looked  down  long  on  the 
wan  white  face,  muttering  to  herself.  At  last  she 
lifted  her  head,  nodded  vigorously  once  or  twice, 
arose  and,  turning  to  Brighteyes,  spoke  a  few  words. 
Brighteyes  at  once  filled  a  small  clay  vessel  with 
water  and  handed  it  to  her.  The  old  squaw  now 
took  little  handfuls  of  leaves  and  stems  and  roots 
of  plants  from  a  number  of  small  bags  that  she 
carried  under  her  blanket,  fastened  to  a  belt  around 
her  waist,  and,  dropping  the  various  herbs  into  the 
vessel  of  water,  placed  it  over  the  fire;  and,  crouch- 
ing down  by  the  side  of  it,  stirred  it  with  a  wooden 
spoon  until  it  boiled,  muttering  to  herself  as  she 
did  so.  When  the  concoction  boiled,  she  took  it  off 
the  fire  and  drained  it  through  a  piece  of  cloth  into 
another  vessel.  As  soon  as  it  was  cool  enough  to 
drink,  she  poured  a  little  of  it  out  into  a  small  cup 
and  gave  it  to  the  sick  child  to  drink. 

Almost  instantly  the  white  face  flushed  with  red 
and  the  long-closed  eyes  opened  and  the  little  hands 
were  lifted  to  her  mother. 

With  a  cry  of  joy  Mrs.  Clay  started  to  raise  the 
baby  to  her  bosom,  but  the  old  squaw  stopped  her 
and  began  tightly  wrapping  a  number  of  heavy 
skins  around  the  body  of  the  child;  and,  before  she 
had  completed  the  wrapping,  the  baby  lay  in  a  deep, 
natural  sleep. 

"  No  uncover  till  morning.  Now  let  sleep.  When 
wake,  give  more,"  and  the  old  squaw  pointed  to 
the  bowl  of  medicine.  "  She  soon  get  well,"  and, 


Black  Hawk  361 


without  waiting  for  the  thanks  Mrs.  Clay  attempted 
to  give  her,  she  hobbled  out  of  the  wigwam  accom- 
panied by  the  squaw  of  Brighteyes. 

For  a  few  minutes  Mrs.  Clay  sat  watching  the 
sleeping  child,  her  heart  too  full  for  utterance;  but, 
now  that  her  mind  was  at  rest,  the  utter  weariness 
of  her  body  made  itself  known. 

"  Sleep,"  and  Brighteyes  pointed  to  the  skins  by 
the  side  of  the  baby.  "  Brighteyes  watch  ba-be." 

With  a  grateful  smile,  Mrs.  Clay  sank  down  on 
the  soft  skins  and  almost  immediately  was  sound 
asleep. 

Ruth,  at  a  motion  from  Brighteyes,  lay  down  by 
the  side  of  her  mother,  and  Gideon  by  the  side  of 
her  —  and  the  most  terrible,  the  most  strenuous  day 
in  the  lives  of  these  pioneers  had  ended. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

AU  REVOIR 

TT*  OR  two  weeks  Big  Tom  Clay  and  Silas  Wegg 
•*•  and  Ben  Block  remained  with  Captain  Lincoln 
and  his  company  of  volunteers,  without  once  get- 
ting a  sight  of  the  Indians,  although  they  were 
constantly  following  trails  and  chasing  rumors. 

This  sort  of  warfare  did  not  please  the  volun- 
teers. Every  day  they  became  more  discontented, 
and  finally,  on  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  May, 
Governor  Reynolds  mustered  out  Lincoln  and  his 
company.  Lincoln,  two  days  later,  re-enlisted,  as  a 
private,  in  Captain  Elijah  lies'  Company  of  Inde- 
pendent Rangers. 

"We'll  go  along  with  you,  if  Captain  lies  is 
willing,"  Big  Tom  said,  as  soon  as  he  heard  of 
Lincoln's  re-enlistment. 

"  Glad  to  have  you,"  Lincoln  responded,  heartily. 
"And,  I  reckon,  Captain  lies  will  be  glad  likewise. 
It's  not  every  day  that  he  can  pick  up  three  such 
men  as  you  are.  Come  on.  I'll  take  you  to  him 
right  now." 

Lincoln  proved  a  true  prophet.  Captain  lies,  as 
soon  as  he  had  heard  the  story  of  Big  Tom,  wel- 
comed him  and  his  two  companions  to  his  command 
and  promised  to  do  all  that  he  could  to  get  on  the 
trail  of  the  Indians  who  had  abducted  Mrs.  Clay 
and  the  children. 

362 


Au  Revoir  363 


Another  week  passed,  a  week  of  fruitless,  exas- 
perating searching. 

Black  Hawk  knew  that  the  forces  marching 
against  him  overwhelmingly  outnumbered  his  little 
army  of  warriors,  that  it  would  be  folly  for  him  to 
attempt  to  face  them  and  give  them  battle;  and, 
cunning  old  fox  that  he  was,  he  divided  his  men 
into  small  bands  and  sent  them  out  to  pillage  and 
massacre,  wherever  opportunity  offered,  always 
fleeing  before  a  large  force  of  the  enemy,  always 
ready  to  spring  upon  a  small  detachment,  or  a  lonely 
settler.  Thus  the  wily  old  chief  managed  to  keep 
the  whole  region  in  a  constant  state  of  terror  and 
several  small  armies  of  regulars  and  volunteers 
busy  chasing  his  bands  through  the  then  wilder- 
nesses of  northwestern  Illinois  and  southwestern 
Wisconsin. 

Big  Tom,  by  this  time,  had  become  despondent, 
had  begun  to  fear  that  the  worst  must  have  hap- 
pened to  Mrs.  Clay  and  the  children.  For  a  time 
he  had  been  buoyed  up  by  the  hope  that  the  old 
Indian,  the  one  Lincoln  had  rescued  from  his  men, 
would  find  his  wife  and  children  and  give  them  his 
message  and  bring  a  message  from  them  to  him  in 
return.  He  had  faithfully  promised  to  do  this,  if 
he  could  find  them.  But  now  three  weeks  had 
passed  since  his  departure  and  still  not  a  word  or  a 
sign  had  come  from  him. 

Big  Tom  knew  the  rage  that  Black  Hawk  and  his 
warriors  were  in.  They  were  constantly  coming 
upon  terrible  evidences  of  this.  And  it  seemed 


364  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

hardly  possible  that,  under  such  circumstances,  Mrs. 
Clay  and  the  children,  if  spared  at  all,  would  be 
spared  for  long.  And  yet  he  could  not  give  up  all 
hope,  never  would  give  up  all  hope,  until  he  had 
been  assured  beyond  all  possible  doubt  that  it  was 
useless  to  hope  longer. 

One  day  they  found  in  a  deserted  Indian  camp 
the  bodies  of  a  white  woman  and  her  baby  that 
had  been  mutilated  beyond  all  recognition.  The 
sight  had  nearly  unmanned  Big  Tom.  They  might 
be  his  wife  and  baby  for  all  he  knew.  That  night 
he  was  in  a  particularly  despondent  frame  of  mind. 

Lincoln  and  Silas  Wegg  and  Ben  Block  tried  in 
vain  to  cheer  him  up,  to  get  his  thoughts  off  the 
terrible  thing  he  had  witnessed  that  day.  He 
seemed  to  resent  their  efforts,  and,  suddenly  arising 
from  the  camp  fire  around  which  all  were  sitting, 
picked  up  his  rifle  and,  without  a  word,  started  off 
gloomily  into  the  darkness  of  the  night. 

For  a  moment  the  three  men  sat  staring  after 
him,  hardly  knowing  what  to  do.  Then  Lincoln 
turned  to  Silas. 

"Better  follow  him,"  he  said,  anxiously.  "He 
is  feeling  desperate  tonight." 

Without  a  word,  Silas  picked  up  his  rifle  and 
hurried  off  in  the  direction  taken  by  Big  Tom. 

Ten  anxious  minutes  passed;  then,  suddenly,  a 
rifle  shot  broke  the  stillness  of  the  night.  Lincoln 
and  Ben  Block  leaped  to  their  feet.  The  shot  had 
come  from  the  direction  taken  by  Big  Tom  and 
Silas.  What  could  it  mean  ?  The  report  of  the  rifle 


Au  Revoir  365 


was  followed  by  a  moment  of  intense  silence.  The 
whole  little  army  appeared  to  be  listening  appre- 
hensively, their  rifles  in  their  hands. 

Then  a  loud  cry,  a  shout,  and  a  woman's  shrill 
voice  were  heard,  and  the  next  instant  the  long  form 
of  Silas  Wegg  broke  into  the  light  of  the  camp 
fires,  running  as  if  for  life,  and  swinging  his  cap 
wildly  around  his  head,  and  shouting  something  at 
the  top  of  his  voice. 

The  officers  yelled  with  excitement  and  com- 
manded their  men  to  fall  into  line  of  battle  and  be 
ready  to  withstand  the  expected  attack  by  the 
Indians. 

Lincoln  and  Ben  Block  leaped  toward  Silas  Wegg. 

"What  is  it?"  they  both  shouted,  the  moment 
they  reached  him.  "  Indians  ?  " 

"Great  Moses!  Dew  I  look  like  Injuns?  No; 
it's  Mrs.  Clay  an'  th'  yunks,  all  safe  an'  sound! 
Whoop-pa !  Hurrah !  Hurrah ! ! "  and  he  flung  his 
cap  up  madly  into  the  air. 

At  that  moment,  from  out  the  darkness  of  the 
night  into  the  light  of  the  camp  fires,  walked  Big 
Tom,  the  baby  in  his  arms,  Mrs.  Clay  clinging  to 
one  arm  and  Ruth  and  Gideon  both  trying  to  mo- 
nopolize the  other;  and  a  little  behind  them  came 
the  old  Indian. 

Big  Tom  had  come  suddenly  upon  his  wife  and 
children  and  the  old  Indian,  just  as  they  were  about 
to  make  themselves  known  to  the  camp;  and,  in 
the  excitement  of  the  moment,  as  he  sprang  for- 
ward to  clasp  his  wife  and  children  in  his  arms, 


366  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

he  had  dropped  his  rifle  and  the  fall  had  discharged 
his  gun. 

That  was  a  night  of  rejoicing  for  the  whole  little 
army.  Men  were  constantly  crowding  around  the 
camp  fire,  where  the  Clays  held  court,  until  long 
past  midnight.  But,  at  last,  the  stories  were  all 
told,  the  hands  all  shaken,  and  all  had  stretched 
themselves  out  on  their  blankets,  Big  Tom  to  enjoy 
his  first  unbroken  and  restful  sleep  for  many  a 
long  day. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  old  Indian,  his  duty 
done,  said  good-by  to  his  white  friends  and  returned 
to  the  camp  of  Black  Hawk. 

Two  months  later  the  cruel  and  shameful  war 
was  ended  by  the  complete  overthrow  of  Black 
Hawk  and  the  half -starved  remnants  of  his  war- 
riors at  the  Battle — or,  more  correctly,  Massacre 
—  of  the  Bad  Axe.  A  short  time  after  this  Black 
Hawk  himself  surrendered  to  the  whites  at  Prairie 
du  Chien. 

Big  Tom  had  taken  his  wife  and  children  to  Fort 
Armstrong,  there  to  await  the  end  of  this  cruel  and 
needless  war. 

On  the  day  that  the  news  of  the  final  victory 
over  Black  Hawk  reached  Fort  Armstrong,  Silas 
Wegg,  who  had  mysteriously  disappeared  a  few 
days  before,  returned.  He  at  once  hurried  to  the 
rude  shelter  occupied  by  the  Clays,  who,  greatly 
as  they  rejoiced  over  the  end  of  the  war,  were  seri- 
ously troubled  by  their  own  unfortunate  affairs. 
The  war  had  robbed  them  of  house  and  stock  and 


Au  Revoir  367 


tools,  everything  but  their  bare  hands  and  stout 
hearts. 

"We  were  just  talking  over  what  we  would  do 
now,"  Big  Tom  said,  the  moment  the  greetings  were 
over.  "  The  Indian  trouble  is  ended,  and,  I  reckon, 
it  is  ended  for  good;  but  it  has  robbed  us  pretty 
much  of  everything  except  our  skins,  and  we're 
powerful  thankful  to  have  them  left,"  and  Big  Tom 
grinned.  "I  reckon  I'll  have  to  leave  the  wife  and 
children  here  and  go  to  work  at  something  until 
next  spring.  I  ought  to  get  enough  ahead  by  that 
time,  with  what  I  can  borrow  back  home,  to  buy 
stock  and  tools  and  a  wagon  and  the  needed  sup- 
plies to  start  over  again.  We  certain  can't  go  back 
on  the  land  right  now,  with  nothing  but  our  bare 
hands  and  winter  coming  on,"  and  he  turned  for 
confirmation  to  Silas. 

"  Shucks ! "  grinned  Silas.  "  I  know  a  way  that'll 
beat  that  all  holler,  asides  from  makin'  me  'bout  th' 
happiest  mortal  that  ever  wore  moccasins."  Thrust- 
ing one  hand  under  the  bosom  of  his  deerskin  coat, 
he  drew  out  a  small  buckskin  bag,  and,  stepping 
to  the  table,  poured  its  contents  out  on  its  top, 
forming  a  little  pyramid  of  bright  yellow  gold 
pieces. 

"  Thar,"  he  said,  turning  his  shining  eyes  to  Big 
Tom  and  Mrs.  Clay.  "I  reckon  th'  good  Lord 
knowed  all  th'  time  what  He  was  a-dewin'  when 
He  put  th'  notion  in  my  head  tew  save  that  thar 
gold.  Now,  that  that  thar  is  settled,"  and  he 
roughly  brushed  one  sleeve  of  his  coat  across  his 


368  The  Totem  of  Black  Hawk 

eyes,  "git  some  food  a-goin'.  I'm  as  hungry  as 
a  b'ar." 

There  is  little  more  to  write,  for  with  the  ending 
of  the  Black  Hawk  war  ended  all  the  more  serious 
troubles  of  our  pioneer  friends,  the  Clays.  With 
the  gold  thus  opportunely  furnished  by  Silas,  they 
were  enabled  to  build  a  strong  log  house  and  barn 
that  fall  and  the  next  spring  to  buy  stock  and  tools 
and  seed,  and  to  begin  the  battle  with  the  wilder- 
ness again  where  they  had  left  off,  this  time  with 
such  success  that  a  few  years  brought  them  all 
prosperity  and  happiness. 

However,  there  was  one  thing  over  which  Gideon 
and  Silas  could  never  feel  quite  satisfied  and  con- 
cerning which  Big  Tom  always  laughed,  whenever 
they  broached  the  subject  to  him,  and  declared: 
"He'd  have  thrown  me  sure.  He  had  the  brains 
and  the  muscle  both."  Big  Tom  had  not  wrestled 
with  the  young  captain  of  volunteers,  Abe  Lincoln; 
and,  consequently,  the  wrestling  championship  of 
Illinois  still  remained  unsettled  in  their  minds, 
although  both  of  them  stoutly  affirmed  that,  had 
the  matter  come  to  a  test,  they  were  positive  that 
Big  Tom  would  have  won,  even  from  so  skilful  an 
antagonist  as  Abe  Lincoln. 

In  closing,  it  is  pleasant  to  record  here  that  the 
pioneer's  dream  came  true,  that  both  Big  Tom  and 
Mrs.  Clay  lived  to  see  all  of  their  children  pros- 
perous and  happily  married,  to  hold  their  grand- 
children on  their  knees  and  to  behold  the  wilderness 
that  they  had  helped  to  wrest  from  the  savage  and 


Au  Revoir  369 


the  wild  beast  develop  into  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  prosperous  regions  of  our  great  nation. 

Silas,  thereafter,  made  his  home  with  the  Clays 
until  his  death  in  his  ninety-seventh  year. 

The  Clays  have  many  descendants  today,  and, 
among  all  the  heirlooms  in  their  possession,  the 
most  cherished  is  a  little  black  stone,  rudely  carved 
into  the  semblance  of  a  hawk  and  attached  to  a 
quaint  old  silver  chain  —  The  Totem  of  Black 
Hawk. 

THE  END 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


rHE  TOTEM  OF  BLACK  HAWK  CHICAGO 


